tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59165654760414341262017-09-04T22:43:12.606+01:00Talent FuturesTalent Futures blog: Reflections and Insight created in partnership with Executive Coaching Clients:
working-mums, working mothers, delegation, leadership, management, best practices, goal setting, performance improvement, leadership-development, managing perception, feedback, reflection, introverted thinkers, exploration, creative, experiential , strategic thinkersRobert Hugillnoreply@blogger.comBlogger41125TalentFutureshttps://feedburner.google.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916565476041434126.post-29816664170604905332016-10-12T07:52:00.001+01:002017-02-07T10:36:41.271+00:008 Ways to Bolster Your Gravitas Quotient<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hEfcP7OsaMA/WAXyjSohxHI/AAAAAAAAA8g/CFedhD2L5PwCsAZ5XitXe2iMiXxPq3ZvgCLcB/s1600/michael%2Bbloomberg.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hEfcP7OsaMA/WAXyjSohxHI/AAAAAAAAA8g/CFedhD2L5PwCsAZ5XitXe2iMiXxPq3ZvgCLcB/s320/michael%2Bbloomberg.png" width="259" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael Bloomberg's Got It!</td></tr></tbody></table>Ever been told at work that you lack gravitas but then not told what that actually means?&nbsp; You're not alone.<br /><br />As a business psychologist focused on leadership development, whether I'm working with an individual or a team, we are essentially focusing on behaviour change.&nbsp; Yet when it comes to "gravitas" there is no one set of behaviours that define it.&nbsp; That's why I hosted an event on Gravitas recently.&nbsp; It is also what prompted me to do a little informal research.<br /><br />I went back through the hundreds of coaching plans I have on file in recent years and came up with eight categories of development needs that are often labelled as a <i>lack </i>of gravitas.&nbsp; Keep in mind that if an executive has been selected for coaching, and lack of gravitas is a part of it, the individual still has a great deal of ability otherwise the organisation would not invest in coaching.&nbsp; So this list is <b>not</b> a checklist.&nbsp; What this list <i>does </i>show is how varied the term "lacking gravitas" can be.&nbsp; In fact, gravitas seems to operate more as a quotient, with enough things in your favour, than it does to be a do this/don't do that list of behaviours.<br /><br /><br /><a name='more'></a>As we determined at the Gravitas event, what is gravitas varies from person to person.&nbsp; And just as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so too is gravitas.&nbsp; Gravitas is also hugely culturally dependent--the culture of the organisation, as well as country you work in, &nbsp; On a positive note, in looking through all those coaching plans, I found that the percentage of female clients labelled "lacking gravitas" was no greater than the overall percentage of women I have coached.&nbsp; <br /><br />So here it is, from the countless times I have asked coaching sponsors and 360 verbal feedback respondents, <i>"When you describe so-and-so as lacking gravitas, what is it exactly that s/he does that leads you to conclude this?" &nbsp; </i>my informal research on the definition of gravitas<i>, </i>from least frequently cited to most frequently cited.<br /><ol><li><b>Time management</b>.&nbsp; If you arrive late to meetings consistently, look flustered, ill-prepared, or overwhelmed, it goes against your gravitas quotient.&nbsp; While this is the least frequently cited, I think that is because it is rather difficult to get to executive level and still have this problem.</li><li><b>Clear, succinct communications</b>.&nbsp; It is hard to be seen to have gravitas if you are rambling, repeat yourself, and can't seem to get to the point.</li><li><b>Reading the social context; self-awareness</b>.&nbsp; Like time management, I think this one is really a must have.&nbsp; It is hard to imagine anyone lacking in self-awareness or the ability to read the social context as being considered to have gravitas.&nbsp; </li><li><b>Managing Emotions</b>.&nbsp; On a rare occasion, to get heated or impassioned about something is exactly what is needed in a leader.&nbsp; At the same time, those leaders might not be considered to be gravitas role models, either.&nbsp; Lose your cool too often and you are actively considered to be <i>lacking</i> in gravitas.</li><li><b>Too Modest; Lacking Assertiveness</b>.&nbsp; This one was applied to more women than it was men.&nbsp; No surprise there as gender differences in how we use language (see the work of Deborah Tannen) will attest to.&nbsp; Those who are saddled with this label are often also labelled as lacking gravitas.</li><li><b>Presence</b>.&nbsp; This is about how you walk into a room, and the impact you have in meetings.&nbsp; Do people pay attention to what you say?&nbsp; It also has to do with deportment and how you carry yourself.&nbsp; This is chiefly about being able to project confidence and belief in yourself that your contributions are worthwhile.&nbsp; If you are struggling with low confidence, "faking it 'til you make it" will get you somewhere.&nbsp; Read more about confidence in this blog <a href="http://www.talentfuturesblog.com/search/label/Confidence" target="_blank">here</a>.</li><li><b>More big-picture focus</b>, less operational day-to-day focus.&nbsp; It is hard to be seen to have gravitas if you are sweating it out in the weeds of day-to-day operations and fire fighting.&nbsp; To have gravitas requires a longer-term, bigger picture approach.&nbsp; This is not about ignoring what happens at the micro level.&nbsp; It is about selecting the right people in your team, trusting them to manage their work well without your interference, and focusing on the strategy.</li><li><b>Relationships with peers across the organisation</b>.&nbsp; Cited twice as often as #7 above, relationships with peers matter the most!&nbsp; Often people who have had a big promotion and are now in a team of cross-functional peers from other parts of the organisation, and feel awed and humble about it all can get labelled as lacking gravitas.&nbsp; For example, a younger executive who is promoted onto the management Board.&nbsp; If that person doesn't spend dedicated time getting to know the peers one-to-one, they won't work well together on the team.&nbsp; If the executive also has not personally and psychologically accepted the mantle of his level, and insteads adopt a deferential or quieter position on the team, the <i>lacking gravitas</i> label is easily applied.</li></ol>No client cited as lacking gravitas had more than three of the above areas in his or her development needs.&nbsp; Many of them who were considered lacking gravitas were already HIGHLY SKILLED in some of the other areas in the above list.&nbsp; For example, one client needed to work on his executive presence by being less casual with direct reports and less deferential to the board, to which he had been newly appointed.&nbsp; He was already very strategic in his thinking.&nbsp; Another client had the presence and relationships, but needed to spend more time on strategic communications and a less operational focus, in addition to better masking his disappointments.<br /><br /><h4>Get Out from Under the Label </h4><br />If you ever get told you lack gravitas, ask the person a question about the areas above that you think you may lack and try to gain more information.&nbsp; Here are some sample starter questions using the list:<br /><ul><li>"When you see a lack of gravitas, are you thinking about my relationships with others, my attention and focus on the detail, or something else?"&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>"Is it something to do with how I communicate with others?&nbsp; If so, how would you describe that for me?"</li><li>"Sometimes in meetings others don't seem to pick up on what I've said.&nbsp; Does it have something to do with that?&nbsp; Would you help me develop my delivery?"</li><li>"I know I was really disappointed about the decision to cut the product line.&nbsp; Is the way I objected strongly an example of when I was lacking gravitas?&nbsp; What should I have done differently to be more effective in getting my concerns across?"</li></ul>Consider also the role of culture.&nbsp; If you can find a place where your energising strengths best fit the organisation's needs, you will soon be out from under the label of lacking gravitas.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><i>Victoria Hall</i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i>Founder of Talent Futures </i></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TalentFutures/~4/LmOnSeRW32o" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Victoria Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235997417100051193noreply@blogger.com0http://www.talentfuturesblog.com/2016/10/8-ways-to-bolster-your-gravitas-quotient.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916565476041434126.post-66263708678776851902016-10-11T12:38:00.001+01:002016-10-18T11:04:29.494+01:00The Consensus on Gravitas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T3D_486dj98/WAXzAQ2m25I/AAAAAAAAA8k/K9FnSPOX4g4Yv4otfnxqlqT6F_ezvs0zgCLcB/s1600/ChristineLaGarde3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Christine La Garde " border="0" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T3D_486dj98/WAXzAQ2m25I/AAAAAAAAA8k/K9FnSPOX4g4Yv4otfnxqlqT6F_ezvs0zgCLcB/s400/ChristineLaGarde3.jpg" title="Christine La Garde " width="400" /></a></div>They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So, too, is gravitas. <br /><br />On Wednesday evening this week, Talent Futures hosted an event for women entitled, <i>Gravitas: So What Is It and How Do I Get It? </i>Our guest speakers were Stephen G. Andress, a Senior Vice President at Northern Trust, and Kulbir Shergill, an award-winning Diversity and Inclusion consultant at Benton and Shergill. The event was well attended and in addition to the speakers, we had small group discussions and ended with a large-circle discussion on what we had concluded and learned from the evening, with everyone contributing. It was really gratifying to host an event on such a serious and elusive topic, and yet to have it come off as "inclusive, engaging, and friendly" as one participant phrased it. Thanks to all of you who attended and who shared the invite to others.<br /><br />I opened the evening with a few introductory remarks, and then we heard from Kulbir and Stephen. This blog shares a summary of the evening.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yHLTCMUC8T0/WAXzTY36KFI/AAAAAAAAA8o/QMIcgPym8hAdq0BfvsB9kBvhhxxVJqq1ACLcB/s1600/Michelle%2BObama.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Michelle Obama" border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yHLTCMUC8T0/WAXzTY36KFI/AAAAAAAAA8o/QMIcgPym8hAdq0BfvsB9kBvhhxxVJqq1ACLcB/s320/Michelle%2BObama.png" title="Michelle Obama" width="199" /></a></div>Kulbir's main point about gravitas was that it is about what is inside you, and how you project that through your poise and speech. She spoke about being at ease with others and comfortable in your own skin. Those who are calm and measured, and assured of the value of their own contribution are often said to have gravitas. Personally, I was very pleased when Kulbir pointed out that when she was doing something that she really enjoyed (i.e., when she was <i>in flow</i> to use a positive psychology term) were the times that others had commented on her gravitas. She also pointed out that people with gravitas understand the social context and have something to say. And for her definition, she felt Michelle Obama was a good example. Being able to be First Lady and all the poise and grace that requires, but also to be able to comfortably let loose on television and sing along to the radio in a car with James Corden takes real sense of self! In conclusion, Kulbir said she has learned gravitas is being confident and kind, approachable not scary, poised, and above all, being yourself.<br /><br />Steve approached the question of what is gravitas with the lens of having served in the military and having lived in different countries as an executive in financial services. While stating that gravitas is culturally dependent, he spoke to the things that he has seen are consistently considered gravitas. Confidence, the willingness to listen to others, and remaining calm in crisis were key themes. Those with gravitas always seem relaxed and in control of the situation, even when there are numerous fires to put out. (Nobody wants an hysterical leader!) People with gravitas ask questions, ask others' opinions, and respect others' answers. They don't feel the need to know it all themselves and remain open to others' ideas. Unreliant on their title for authority, people with gravitas are thoughtful, do not rush to judgement, and spend a lot of time <i>listening. </i>They don't do most of the talking. Steve concluded it is about being bigger than yourself. That is, offering solutions to others that are beyond your own interests, sharing credit, taking disagreements offline, and taking time to be prepared for meetings. It is a long list, he admitted, but not everybody has everything. You just need enough, and most of it is about your relationships with others.<br /><br />In our following discussion, we explored the themes of gravitas and trust, gravitas and authenticity, and of the importance of cultural fit in your organisation in order to be seen to have gravitas. In the end, we drew the conclusion that the standards of gravitas and the behaviours that deem someone to have it will always vary, and they may indeed be different for women than for men, but what all definitions seem to have in common is the emphasis on thoughtful relationships with others, and self-awareness.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><i>Victoria Hall</i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i>Founder of Talent Futures</i></div><br /><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TalentFutures/~4/DZINN8906JA" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Victoria Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235997417100051193noreply@blogger.com0http://www.talentfuturesblog.com/2016/10/the-consensus-on-gravitas.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916565476041434126.post-22007003107606810662016-07-16T11:37:00.001+01:002016-07-17T08:47:28.329+01:00Leading HR through BrexitA few weeks after Brexit, what might an HRD with operations in the UK be focussing on?<br /><br />Leadership demands vision. One of the glaring gaps through the whole referendum campaign was the lack of a compelling or coherent picture of what the future would look like – either way. Painting pictures based on the dangers of making the wrong decision is not what gains sufficient or enthusiastic followers. So the first key task of the HRD is to ensure leaders with UK operations set out a clear vision of what Brexit means for the business. Then broadcast it loudly within the organisation. For those with unclear options on that journey, then they should at least show the decision points on that roadmap. Above all, avoid the stagnation of uncertainty.<br /><br />If access to overseas people is going to become more restricted, this has significant implications. Studies suggest the impact on ‘blue collar’ workers of free labour movement within the EU has suppressed wages by 2%. The reverse of this is that employers will face upward pressure on labour rates, ahead of general inflation. <br /><a name='more'></a>Whilst a 10% drop in the currency may give some temporary profit relief to exporters, this cannot remove the never ending pressure of improving productivity for real underlying sustainability. This means that businesses must not delay in investing in technologies, equipment and skills to build their futures, with the HRD providing the analysis of skills needed and the resources to deliver. The UK will need to grow more of its own. (Talent Futures has some rich material on <a href="http://www.talentfutures.com/2-4-1-TalentStrategy.htm">talent strategy</a> and <a href="http://www.talentfutures.com/2-1-2-Transitions.htm">transitions</a>.)<br /><br />Perhaps less obvious is the scope for de-skilling in operations by reducing variety and complexity. It may well be time to re-think who does what and take opportunities to up-skill team members with enriched responsibilities. Fuller jobs could allow enhanced rewards and help on the journey of higher skills, better paid people. The current drive in the UK on apprenticeships may also give opportunities here, both in redesigning how new entrants are brought into the organisation and also in raising established employees’ skill sets.<br /><br />Our HRD might also want to reflect on the importance of knowing what people think – really think and are prepared to share. The weakness of the political polls must bring into question some of the current processes in use for measuring employees’ views and feelings. A wise HRD would review intensely the state of employee surveys and the like. It becomes an area for a whole fresh approach.<br /><br />Again, there’s a great body of work that can help here from Talent Futures on <a href="http://www.talentfutures.com/2-4-TalentManagement.htm">talent management</a>.<br /><br />The return of employee representatives on supervisory boards to give an employee voice is also now back on the agenda in the UK. The origins of this idea can, perhaps ironically, be placed back in the model of West Germany which reached its high water mark in the UK with The Bullock Report 1977 in the industrial hiatus of those times. (Henderson, Joan: A Guide to the Bullock Report, Industrial Society, 1977)<br /><br />Employee representatives on boards may be imposed by legislation but a shrewd HRD may consider that an early home-grown model implemented in advance is likely to be more suitable than one imposed subsequently by legislation. In other words, taking the initiative and reaching an agreement with an organisation’s existing Unions or similar associations and appointing a suitable voice from the senior echelons of the Union, probably as a non Executive member.<br /><br />Brexit is seen by many as a sign of protest against the decision makers, who are seen as faceless and self-serving The reward levels of senior executives will come under immediate focus. Most robust processes have a comparison between the CEO’s rewards and the average of the ‘blue collar’ as a basis. The HRD needs to ensure the current practice passes the ‘smell test’. If it does not, it’s time for some difficult conversations.<br /><br />Even if the HRD gets passed that challenge, there’s still&nbsp; a discordant echo. In the aftermath of the result, tensions were raised between nationals, generations, regions and races. How does this fit with the organisation’s approach on diversity and inclusion? If the organisation is part of an international group, what relationships got wounded or severed? How will a Brit fit in European meetings? How will mainland Europeans feel in UK owned companies? Our mythical HRD may well look to create some team enhancing activities for the senior teams who need to work together on international business objectives. These would bring out the values of the organisation; allow individuals to share what’s important personally to them; and show how binding them together makes a stronger whole.&nbsp;&nbsp; For suitable approaches see the Talent Futures material on <a href="http://www.talentfutures.com/2-2-TeamDevelopment.htm">team development</a>.<br /><br />Opportunities are there for those who can move fast and take advantage of the openings that will arise during change. The laurels of success will be placed on the heads of those who can be creative and innovative whilst competently balancing the risks. <br /><br />&nbsp;Our HRD will now see the great chance. As a champion of delivering change, our heroic HRD must seize these opportunities.<br /><div style="text-align: right;"><i>Stephen Spencer</i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i>Talent Futures</i></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TalentFutures/~4/jY8yXAmDoKs" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Robert Hugillhttps://plus.google.com/103095364817792991442noreply@blogger.com0http://www.talentfuturesblog.com/2016/07/leasing-hr-through-brexit.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916565476041434126.post-21177978074680543012016-07-13T15:13:00.002+01:002016-10-07T17:44:03.989+01:00Three Ideas for Navigating the Post-Brexit World<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gj6uxrlN0wA/V4ZL7IbqQJI/AAAAAAAATXI/oMCrrIqXKGUSARyDPH8ipLMPBDmx4n68QCLcB/s1600/shutterstock_235137520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Sunrise on moor" border="0" height="213" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gj6uxrlN0wA/V4ZL7IbqQJI/AAAAAAAATXI/oMCrrIqXKGUSARyDPH8ipLMPBDmx4n68QCLcB/s320/shutterstock_235137520.jpg" title="Sunrise on moor" width="320" /></a></div>The other day I was coming back to London from a meeting in Birmingham.&nbsp; I was working on my laptop while listening to Orange Blossom, a French band whose music is influenced by traditional music of Algeria, Brittany, Mexico, Cote d'Ivoire, and Egypt.&nbsp; It is evocative and soulful, and as I pelted through the British countryside overlooking sheep and green fields, I felt deep nostalgia for ten years ago when,&nbsp;despite the Iraq war and Afghanistan, Britain seemed to&nbsp;be a United Kingdom.<br /><br />The gap, however, between the Haves and the Have Nots has become chasmic, and the middle Britain dream of a job and being able to provide for the family has been out of reach for too many for too long.&nbsp;&nbsp;In an attempt to alleviate&nbsp;misfortune, it is easiest to blame others.&nbsp; Immigrants or the EU at large&nbsp;make easy targets for blame.&nbsp; After all, it is easier to irrationally hope for change in others than it is to pursue change within ourselves.&nbsp; <br /><br />And then enter the referendum where the individual had a voice.&nbsp;&nbsp;52% chose the blame game,&nbsp;48% are left wondering what next.&nbsp; <br /><br /><a name='more'></a>It is tempting for us all to partake in the blame game, post referendum, with departed Tory leaders now comprising the easy targets.&nbsp; &nbsp;As <a href="http://www.mental-health-survival-guide.com/brochures/blame.html" target="_blank">Jerry Waxler</a> says in his blog about Blame, <br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">"We blame others because we feel they have power and we don't. And yet, we fail to act, keeping ourselves in a position of helplessness, that further justifies our blaming... If we focus on blame, we are doomed to see ourselves as helpless victims."</blockquote>Ouch!&nbsp; That hurt.&nbsp; Nobody likes being a victim, and the message that we may be choosing to be one hurts even more.&nbsp; So how do we break away from feeling we are powerless victims and create opportunity, even in the wake of Brexit?&nbsp; <br /><br />Firstly, we need to be active, responsible participants in our own life.&nbsp; Actively seek out ways of changing the balance in your daily life.&nbsp; We need to focus on being citizens of the world.&nbsp; Rather than blame others, forgive them.&nbsp; Then do more.&nbsp; Reach out to people you haven't spoken to in some time.&nbsp; Make introduction between people you think would benefit from meeting each other.&nbsp; If you don't already volunteer in some capacity, find a local food bank, homeless shelter, or other charity that needs help.&nbsp; Make a point of being polite to strangers rather than barging through your commute.&nbsp; And if you work in an open-plan office aim to be a good citizen by avoiding disruptive behaviour such as loud phone calls, making a mess, or interrupting others' concentration.&nbsp; By being present and responsive, we show our interest in staying connected and engaged with&nbsp;others as responsible citizens of the world. <br /><br />Secondly, learn more about your own resilience and leverage your strengths to find new ways to get through difficulties.&nbsp; While many people will not yet have felt the impact of Brexit, companies are already responding with announcing job moves to Europe, and Britain is struggling economically, which could lead to more redundancies, reorganisations, and job changes.&nbsp; Prepare yourself now by focusing on your resilience and strengths.&nbsp; A&amp;DC has a <a href="https://www.adc.uk.com/development/products/resilience/" target="_blank">resilience questionnaire</a> that defines 8 components of resilience:&nbsp; Self Belief, Optimism, Purposeful Direction, Adaptability, Ingenuity, Challenge Orientation, Emotion Regulation, and Support Seeking.&nbsp; Consider the ways in which you are most resilient and leverage those.&nbsp; If there are gaps in your resilience, learn about them so you won't get broadsided.&nbsp; <br /><br />At Talent Futures, we use the Resilience questionnaire and have also been using <a href="http://www.strengthscope.com/why-strengthscope/business-applications/" target="_blank">Strengthscope</a> with our clients to great effect.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;We <a href="http://www.talentfutures.com/3-2-3-CaseStudiesTalentManagement.htm" target="_blank">help individuals and teams</a> re-energise themselves through their work by leveraging their strengths, channelling their use, and avoiding their overuse.&nbsp; Knowing your strengths can help you focus your talents amidst change to ensure you continue to find intrinsically rewarding work.<br /><br />Thirdly,&nbsp;re-evaluate your goals, adapt them as necessary, and accept that risk is part of life.&nbsp; The one sure way to fall victim to any set of circumstances we may be in is to do nothing.&nbsp; So think flexibly, stay true to your <a href="http://www.talentfutures.com/3-4-4-Tools-Values-Exercise.htm" target="_blank">values</a>, and decide how you will take your career forward.&nbsp; Understanding your own propensity to take risk and the types of risk you are comfortable with is also fundamental to continuing to adjust to changing circumstances.&nbsp; At Talent Futures we have been developing a new approach to helping individuals and teams balance the contradictory mindsets of risk management and innovation.&nbsp; <br /><br />Certainly the months and years ahead post-Brexit are fraught with uncertainty.&nbsp; The best defence is to know yourself and your goals and forge your path accordingly.&nbsp; The coaches at Talent Futures have lived and worked in&nbsp;<a href="http://www.talentfutures.com/4-2-WhereWeWork.htm" target="_blank">more than 40&nbsp;countries</a>.&nbsp; We have seen many, many changes.&nbsp; We remain in spirit and philosophy, as citizens of the world.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><i>Victoria Hall,&nbsp;</i><i>Executive Coach</i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i>Founder of Talent Futures</i></div><br /><br /><strike><br /></strike><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TalentFutures/~4/La0SWmQ1rw0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Victoria Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235997417100051193noreply@blogger.com0London, UK51.5073509 -0.1277582999999822351.1912379 -0.77320529999998222 51.8234639 0.51768870000001777http://www.talentfuturesblog.com/2016/07/three-ideas-for-navigating-post-brexit.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916565476041434126.post-77904740124168143442016-04-26T16:10:00.000+01:002016-04-26T16:19:33.342+01:00Leadership at Senior Level: Making It Last, Keeping It FreshToday I gave a breakfast seminar at <a href="http://www.buzzacott.co.uk/" target="_blank">Buzzacott LLP </a>to 26 partners in law on the topic "<b>Leadership at Senior Level: Making It Last, Keeping It Fresh</b>." <br /><br />Key themes were: <br /><ol><li><b>Purpose &amp; Ambition</b>: Know which of your strengths put you "in flow" and which deplete you. Dream big and write it down in the past tense, as if you have already achieved it. Talk about where you are going next in the present tense. Seek more ways to use your energising strengths, and don't give in too often to others' demands for you to use the talents that drain your energy. </li><li><b>Environment &amp; Organisation</b>: Widen your scope of curiosity to keep fresh and to continually seek new ways of contributing and engaging with others. Consider political, cultural, social, and competitive forces and how they impact your purpose and what your clients need for the future. Connect more widely. </li><li><b>Self-Knowledge</b>: Strive to live your values. Don't let your own automatic responses get in the way. Know what triggers your "driver" behaviours such as perfectionism, pleasing others, being stern or tough with others. Rather than automatically indulging in those behaviours, plan out different approaches you can take in those moments that are more in tuned with your values. Ideally, these involve using your energising strengths.</li></ol>In closing: Be kind to yourself by setting realistic expectations, recognise that failure is temporary, and allow yourself to fully celebrate your successes. Careers need to last a bit longer than they used to, make yours one of fulfilment and continual growth. <br /><br />The audience for this talk was entirely female. For those of you guys out there who wonder why have a "women only" event, the plain truth is that it is easier to bring more women into the discussion when the audience is entirely female. Every time I attend an event that is mainly female, but with a few men, guess who are the ones who ask the questions? Yup, it's the men. Nothing against guys who put themselves forward, particularly if they ask insightful questions. At the same time, I do ardently wish more women would be able to do the same without risk of social backlash for being "too outspoken," "aggressive," or "domineering." Our silence is often automatic in mixed gender settings, I fear, and until it is not, women only events will continue to be needed. <br /><br /><br />As a leadership consultant, I'm in the business of helping people be better leaders. From my perspective there aren't different techniques or methods for women than there are for men. It is simply a matter of leadership. And to be a good leader means to reflect and question oneself. And a lot of us need a closed door environment to do that. The discussion today was rich, insightful, and passionate--and it started today after several long, golden pauses of silence and reflection. <br /><div style="text-align: right;"><i>Victoria Hall, Executive Coach</i><br /><i>Founder of Talent Futures, Ltd.</i></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TalentFutures/~4/9UN8Q4Bded8" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Victoria Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235997417100051193noreply@blogger.com0http://www.talentfuturesblog.com/2016/04/leadership-at-senior-level-making-it_26.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916565476041434126.post-7254744744637058002016-04-05T10:06:00.002+01:002016-04-06T10:04:25.572+01:00Can You Really Afford to Wait? Part 2: Conflict Management Is Time ManagementIn Part 1 of <i>Can You Really Afford to Wait? </i>I outlined how a clear purpose is half the battle of managing time and achieving career fulfilment.<br /><br /><h3 style="text-align: center;">Equally important to the management of time is the courage to deal with conflict.&nbsp;</h3><br />I think it is part of our cultural DNA here in the UK that we just don't "do" conflict. &nbsp;There is something about getting into the nitty gritty of it that is distasteful and so extremely uncomfortable &nbsp;that we avoid it at all costs. &nbsp;But guess what? &nbsp;Managing conflict is the other half of achieving your full potential and being able to manage your time well. &nbsp;And once you learn a few simple lessons, it actually isn't that hard, either.<br /><a name='more'></a><br />No, really.<br /><br /><h4>Why is managing conflict so important to time management? &nbsp;</h4>Allowing disagreements and conflicts to exist amongst employees only serves to further delay progress. &nbsp;If your direct reports are in the habit of coming to you with problems they have with other employees, you certainly want to convey the expectation that they resolve the problem between them. &nbsp;However, if after a few days a solution that will be reasonably expected to last has not developed, it is in fact your responsibility and in your best interest to ensure conflict is addressed. &nbsp;Most likely this involves sitting in the same room or on the same video link with those involved. &nbsp;Each person must be listened to by the other party. &nbsp;Each party must be able to accurately convey the views of the other party. &nbsp;(Not just say "I understand." &nbsp;They actually need to outline them back to the other party.) &nbsp;Only then can suggestions for resolution be proposed and considered. <br /><br />Negotiation and conflict resolution on complex matters will be more involved and most likely require multiple meetings or a skilled facilitator. &nbsp;But from small tiffs to cross-continental blow outs, at the heart of managing all conflict is the ability to actively listen without judgment, to accurately understand each party's interests and priorities, and to seek solutions that meet the majority of needs for all parties. <br /><br />Conflicts that focus on each party's&nbsp;<i>position</i>, only escalate into a stalemate. &nbsp;And no leader can afford to have employees who do not communicate with each other. &nbsp;I do not know one leader today who has not had to do with less headcount than they think they need in the last few years. &nbsp;So how much do you think it costs to have employees who don't communicate? &nbsp;Resolving conflict really is not something you can afford to wait on.<br /><br />Sometimes, however, the conflict is beyond our span of control. &nbsp;In these situations it is much better to find a way to flow around these difficulties than to waste time going through them. This requires challenging the assumptions we make and innovative thinking. &nbsp;The first step in this is unlocking the creativity of employees. &nbsp;A topic for a future blog, I believe.<br /><br />To summarise Parts 1 and 2 of <i>Can You Really Afford to Wait</i>, I encourage you to consider what you most want to achieve in your career, and to develop your purpose based on your values and abilities. &nbsp;Then make sure your followers understand your purpose, too, and have the courage of conviction to work through the conflict, or around it as necessary, to ultimately fulfil your purpose.<br /><br />For more information on how Talent Futures can help your team develop their ability to resolve conflict and negotiate, see our&nbsp;<a href="http://www.talentfutures.com/2-2-TeamDevelopment.htm" target="_blank">website&nbsp;</a>and a related blog&nbsp;<a href="http://www.talentfuturesblog.com/2015/03/omg-what-did-she-just-ask-for-on-women.html" target="_blank">OMG! What Did She Just Ask For?&nbsp;On Women and Negotiations</a>.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><i>Victoria Hall,&nbsp;</i><i>Executive Coach</i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i>Founder of Talent Futures</i></div><br /><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TalentFutures/~4/VqtNE8OqiMQ" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Victoria Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235997417100051193noreply@blogger.com0http://www.talentfuturesblog.com/2016/04/can-you-really-afford-to-wait-part-2.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916565476041434126.post-37497519560366415732016-03-31T20:28:00.000+01:002016-09-30T15:34:42.661+01:00Can You Really Afford to Wait? Part 1: Why a Clear Purpose is the Best Way to Manage TimeAs an owner of a small consultancy, one thing you learn to do very well is manage time and get things done. &nbsp;In an age where slowing down and being <i>mindful</i>&nbsp;is in vogue, and stress reduction and work/life balance are more prominent topics in the workplace, where does the entrepreneur fall on the continuum? &nbsp;Well, truthfully, my pursuit of my goals wins over my desire for balance on many weeks of the year. &nbsp;But taking the whole year in sum, the time I make for family and friends and new experiences is what sustains me and keeps me looking at the world with fresh eyes. &nbsp;It also keeps me increasingly ruthless with how I spend my time. <br /><br />Having recently been asked to create a targeted seminar on the new thinking in time management, I thought I'd share with readers of this blog some ways that executives take control of their time and create the conditions for a fulfilling career. &nbsp;To me, they are one and the same.<br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br />Over the 18 years that I've worked with senior executives as a consultant and coach, two factors that the most senior and most successful have in common are (1) the unwavering drive and courage to achieve their goals, and (2) the habit of periodically pausing for <b><a href="http://www.talentfuturesblog.com/search/label/Reflection" target="_blank">reflection</a></b>, learning, and renewal. &nbsp; Coaching is a great means for the reflection, naturally, and with the right coach, clients discover what they need to learn while taking their leadership to the next level.<br /><br />Achieving your goals, on the other hand, is much harder to master. &nbsp;There are too many variables outside of one's control. &nbsp;And against the tide of competing interests, it is too easy to be distracted. But can you really afford to wait?<br /><br /><div>Waiting will only leave you having worked an entire year, or even an entire career without that lasting achievement to look back on in your (hopefully long) retirement. &nbsp;There is an old saying that nobody dies wishing they had worked harder or done more housework. &nbsp;We are, however, living longer and most of us will work well into our late sixties. &nbsp;Apart from building a retirement nest egg, don't we want our days at work to count for something?</div><div><br /><h3>The unwavering drive and courage to achieve your goals requires two things: a clear purpose and conflict management. </h3><h4></h4><h4>A Clear Purpose&nbsp;</h4>To really achieve, an executive first needs to be crystal clear on what the goals are. &nbsp;This is not simply fulfilling the business goals and objectives. No, this is <i><b>personal.</b></i> &nbsp;This is about defining who you are through what you achieve, in essence, your <i><b>purpose</b></i>. Considering your <a href="http://www.talentfutures.com/3-4-4-Tools-Values-Exercise.htm" target="_blank"><b>values</b> </a>and abilities, what must you achieve in your life's work? &nbsp;And given where you are in this world, what goals will you realise? &nbsp;What purpose will you fulfill?<br /><br />Without a purpose, we cannot feel fulfilled, and instead are more likely to feel victimised by the pressures of others' expectations. &nbsp;In fact, I would argue that<br /><h3 style="text-align: center;"><i>Without a purpose, there is no time to be "managed," <br />only a constant "to do" list to juggle. </i>&nbsp;&nbsp;</h3><i style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></i><i style="font-weight: bold;">With</i> a purpose, however, we create more certainty in our lives, and what we need to achieve becomes quite clear.&nbsp;With a purpose, it is much easier to ask yourself, "What is most important for me to do now, so that everything else is easier or unnecessary?" (credit to Gary Keller on that great question.) &nbsp;Think of Ghandi, Abraham Lincoln, and George C. Marshall. &nbsp;Each had a clear purpose, and they focused their time and attention on achieving it. &nbsp;They also made sure that their purpose was clear with their followers.<br /><br />OK, so you might not be an internationally recognised leader, but without knowing what you want to contribute, it is hard to feel fulfilled. &nbsp;It doesn't have to be grandiose. &nbsp;It simply needs to be meaningful to you, and in turn, meaningful to those you lead. &nbsp;Consider these purposes of people I have known:<br /><ul><li>A financial services client specialising in the automotive industry with strong family values and a belief in economic equality, described his purpose as "Making car ownership affordable to more people." &nbsp;He realised his team felt more focused on achieving their targets when they pictured the end beneficiary of their work was a parent on a modest income who could safely afford their financing terms.</li><li>A client in the energy sector believed in transparency, efficiency, and cross-cultural collaboration. &nbsp;His purpose, "To bring opportunity to others through the increasingly efficient and reliable supply of natural resources" &nbsp;helped him stay the course on changes he was implementing, not all of which were immediately embraced by others. &nbsp;Through staying focused and providing clear messages, he saw the changes through and made the supply chain more efficient and better for customers. &nbsp;</li></ul>With a guiding purpose, it is much easier to decide what to spend time on and what not to waste time on. &nbsp;This includes which issues need to have our focused attention, and which can be downplayed. &nbsp;But of course, it won't be an easy path. &nbsp;There will be conflict.<br /><br />In part 2, I will focus on the importance of conflict management. <br /><br />For more information on how Talent Futures coaching can help you develop your purpose and achieve, see our <b><a href="http://www.talentfutures.com/3-2-1-CaseStudiesCoaching.htm" target="_blank">Coaching case studies</a></b> and <b><a href="http://www.talentfutures.com/2-1-ExecutiveCoaching.htm" target="_blank">Executive Coaching services</a></b> pages on the website, and other blog entries on the topics of <a href="http://www.talentfuturesblog.com/search/label/Reflection" target="_blank"><b>Reflection</b> </a>and <b><a href="http://www.talentfuturesblog.com/search/label/Purposeful%20Selfishness" target="_blank">Purpose</a></b>.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><i>Victoria Hall,&nbsp;</i><i>Executive Coach</i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i>Founder of Talent Futures</i></div></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TalentFutures/~4/wqQUJh2P4t8" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Victoria Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235997417100051193noreply@blogger.com0http://www.talentfuturesblog.com/2016/03/can-you-really-afford-to-wait-part-1.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916565476041434126.post-894094715515891382016-02-12T10:07:00.002+00:002016-02-12T10:11:24.850+00:00Visual Art Can Make You a Better LeaderIn the past few months at <a href="http://www.talentfutures.com/" target="_blank">Talent Futures</a> we have developed a way to help leadership teams b<span style="text-indent: -18pt;">reak from their assumptions in their work, and to s</span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">trengthen their relationships and ability to influence across the organisation and their industry.</span><br /><span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><br /></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><i><b>The Art of Leadership</b> </i>is an optional component of Talent Futures London-based leadership team events.&nbsp; In cooperation with consultant art historian, <a href="http://www.talentfutures.com/4-CharlotteDeMille.htm" target="_blank">Charlotte de Mille</a>, Talent Futures offers bespoke lunchtime visits to an art museum to further the agility of leadership teams.&nbsp; </div><a name='more'></a>The theme of each visit is suggested by the facilitator, based on the team's organisational context, and is agreed with the team in advance.&nbsp; Charlotte de Mille then designs a personalised tour for 90 minutes at a museum close to the event venue. <br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Prior to these events, a team may consider the museum visit as "down time" during the workshop.&nbsp; </span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">However, the works chosen and the discussion about those works give the team opportunity to experience and discuss art that, while unrelated to their work, is directly related to their learning objectives. &nbsp;</span>Themes from previous clients include:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"></div><ul><li>Cultural norms</li><li>Compliance and regulation</li><li>Housing and modern living</li></ul><h3><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Why and how does this work?</span></h3><div>When atte<span style="font-family: inherit;">ntion&nbsp;<span style="line-height: 115%;">is devoted to objects, the act stimulates reflection on our different perspectives, informed by our personality, our past experiences, and our present circumstances.&nbsp; This act of self-challenge is critical to developing new responses.&nbsp; </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">Back at the venue, after the tour, the facilitator poses questions about the experience and ties the responses to the learning objectives of the workshop. &nbsp;For example:</span></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">A video installation about blind people making visual art resulted in some of the team feeling discomfort at others being taken advantage of, until they saw how much participants enjoyed what they were doing.</span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">&nbsp; </span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">This underscored how matters of ethics can be divisive, and reminded them of an ongoing disagreement with another team.</span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">&nbsp; </span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">They resolved to seek the individual views of the other team and collaborate on a solution. </span></li><li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">In response to a work that challenged the roles of gender, race, and religion in modern society, the team were able to discuss the assumptions they made about diversity in the workplace and their team in particular.</span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</span></li></ul><h3><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Outcomes</span></h3><span style="text-indent: -24px;">In post-workshop review discussions, the following outcomes of </span><i style="text-indent: -24px;">The Art of Leadership</i><span style="text-indent: -24px;"> events have been noted:</span><br /><ul><li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Discussing art with colleagues means each person takes a risk in sharing thoughts that are purely opinion and observation; no logic is involved.&nbsp; This shared vulnerability brings people together and tensions subside.</span></li><li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">The way to influence people with opinions different from ours is through listening, not logic.</span></li><li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">The importance of validating others' opinions and understanding others' perceptions increases in significance</span></li><li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Once assumptions are broken, the door to more creativity and a better strategy opens. &nbsp;</span></li><li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Black-and-white thinking is spotted quickly, and the experience stretches the thinking of participants.&nbsp; It becomes possible to consider other ways of looking at things without risking reputation. &nbsp;</span></li><li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Discussing “What is and isn't art,” leads to “what is and isn't leadership,” and </span><span lang="EN-US" style="text-indent: -18pt;">“</span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">what is and isn't the way to get things done in the organisation.” &nbsp;</span></li></ul>To learn more about <i>The Art of Leadership </i>events, please contact us at <a href="mailto:askacoach@talentfutures.com">askacoach@talentfutures.com</a>.<br /><div style="text-indent: -24px;"><br /></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><o:p></o:p></div><div style="text-indent: -24px;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><o:p></o:p></div></div></div><div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><o:p></o:p></div></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TalentFutures/~4/GqLtoIxSg8k" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Victoria Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235997417100051193noreply@blogger.com0http://www.talentfuturesblog.com/2016/02/visual-art-can-make-you-better-leader.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916565476041434126.post-55946823296276711452015-12-09T11:32:00.000+00:002016-03-17T15:21:54.311+00:00Career Progression Factors, part 3 (Self Knowledge)Having covered the considerations of (1) Environment and Organisation Objectives, and (2) your Purpose and Ambition, in this concluding part of the series on Career Progression Factors I invite you to consider the role that self knowledge plays in any campaign for advancement to senior leadership levels. <br /><div><br /></div><div>Self-knowledge is characterised by the beliefs that we never stop learning more about ourselves, and that we continue to change. &nbsp;The person I was at 20 was merely an outline of the person I had become by 30, and at 40 I understood more clearly my own shortcomings, and was significantly leveraging my true talents. And as I approach 50, I feel myself letting go of the vain pursuit of things I will never be while also having a renewed strength to pursue those ambitions that I can achieve, based on my understanding of self. &nbsp;My reflective clients in their 60s share with me the joy they derive from working in a capacity that is true to them, and also that the "static interference" of aspects of their work that no longer appeal to them are also no longer such a grind. &nbsp;Self knowledge facilitates this near nirvana considerably.</div><div><br /></div><div>As we all embark on our own self-knowledge journeys, 3 factors can make all the difference:<br /><a name='more'></a><br /><ul><li>Values</li><li>Strengths</li><li>Personality pitfalls</li></ul><h4><b><br /></b></h4><h4><b>Values</b>&nbsp; &nbsp;</h4>Know your values and focus on demonstrating them to others. &nbsp;If you find yourself in an organisation or with a set of behavioural expectations that are misaligned with your values, your well-being suffers. &nbsp;And naturally, in order to be in work that is aligned with your values, you need to know what they are. &nbsp;Beyond integrity and honesty, there are a whole slate of values that are particular to you. Consider yours and those of your organisation. &nbsp;Which organisational values can you personally espouse? &nbsp;Focus on those and demonstrate them to the best of your ability. &nbsp;For help with knowing your personal values, &nbsp;do the <a href="http://www.talentfutures.com/3-4-4-Tools-Values-Exercise.htm" target="_blank">Values Exercise </a>on the <a href="http://www.talentfutures.com/" target="_blank">Talent Futures website</a>. &nbsp; &nbsp;</div><div><h4><b><br /></b></h4><h4><b>Strengths&nbsp;</b>&nbsp;</h4>Ever scored the winning goal, played a piece of music flawlessly, given a stellar presentation at work, or worked all night with your team until you found a brilliant solution together? &nbsp;Chances are you have experienced what positive psychologists term being <a href="http://www.talentfuturesblog.com/search/label/In%20Flow" target="_blank">"in flow."</a> &nbsp;When in flow, we use our strengths and are completely engrossed. &nbsp;And rather than feel drained by the effort, the experience is intensely energising. &nbsp;Self knowledge is also about knowing which of our strengths put us "in flow" and leveraging those appropriately. &nbsp;In the past few years I have worked with many clients and organisations on determining their strengths in flow and effectively marshaling their use. The results can exceed all expectations...and unearth some hidden assumptions along the way that hinder performance.</div><div><h4><b><br /></b></h4><h4><b>Personality Pitfalls &nbsp;</b></h4>The third, and stickiest, aspect of self knowledge is understanding when we get in our own way--our personality pitfalls. &nbsp;We all have a few! &nbsp;Long ingrained and learned from childhood, personality pitfalls are ways of behaving that we have long used to relieve stress. &nbsp;At some point in our lives they were effective methods for making our situation better, but now when we are stressed we can sometimes unwittingly over-apply these behaviour patterns. &nbsp;Often we do not even realise we are doing it.<br /><span style="font-family: &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>The most successful executives are aware of their own personality pitfalls and take steps not to "indulge" in them by default, but instead to make conscious alternate choices in behaviour. &nbsp;One former client of mine has learned over the course of his career when <b><i>not&nbsp;</i></b>to apply his tendency toward perfectionism. &nbsp;He has a natural love for ensuring all aspects fit together, but he also knows that to try to do that in an inexact organisation would be a tremendous waste of time and effort. &nbsp;He instead tries to channel his perfectionism into his personal hobbies and use his tremendous capacity for fitting details together at work only when it will make a significantly positive difference. His careful management of his personality pitfall has helped him achieve leadership of Europe in one of the world's largest organisations. <br /><br />Another former client of mine carries within himself a truly revolutionary spirit. &nbsp;Yet he works in one of the largest investment banks. &nbsp;He acknowledges that if overused, his anti-establishment streak could do his team and himself a great disservice. &nbsp;Instead, he likes to challenge at the edges, making sure they stay alert to new information and ways of looking at things as they create the market insight they are known for. &nbsp; <br /><br />And a third former client is a natural rapport builder, able to exude genuine warmth and foster a strong connection with just about anybody. &nbsp;If he indulged in all the connections and the networking without also allowing himself time to reflect and develop a clear strategy for what he wants to achieve, he wouldn't be nearly as successful as he is today.<br /><br />How do you identify your own personality pitfalls? &nbsp;Think about the last time someone remarked on some aspect of your behaviour that really irritated you or that felt unjust. &nbsp;It might not be an accurate assessment, but if their description of your behaviour provoked a strong reaction in you, there is something about your use of that behaviour and where that comes from that you could reflect on. &nbsp;And of course you could always look at your year end feedback, or 360 feedback, and consider which 1 or 2 pieces most impact your success, given your purpose and ambition.<br /><br /><h4></h4><h4>Conclusion</h4>It takes an extraordinary person to succeed at senior executive level. &nbsp;Beyond natural talent, Purpose &amp; Ambition, and a keen sense of the Environment &amp; Organisation Objectives, a lasting ability at senior executive level requires Self-Knowledge gained through reflection. &nbsp;It helps us stay true to our values, leverage our strengths, and regulate our natural personality preferences. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZDEhOlchSC0/VmcYLLVKb7I/AAAAAAAAAMg/qpb4RDSyZsM/s1600/Sweet%2BSpot%2Bgraphic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZDEhOlchSC0/VmcYLLVKb7I/AAAAAAAAAMg/qpb4RDSyZsM/s640/Sweet%2BSpot%2Bgraphic.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><div style="text-align: left;">So this year as you look back on your performance and create your goals and development plan for 2016 and beyond, try to find the&nbsp;"sweet spot" where these three areas overlap. &nbsp;Consider these questions:<br /><br /><ul><li>Given my ambitions, what strengths do I need to use effectively? &nbsp;How might I get in my own way? &nbsp;What can I do to prevent that?</li><li>In what ways does the company's objectives and the current environment present opportunity for me to achieve the next step toward my goals?</li><li>What do I most need to learn in order to achieve my purpose and ambition? &nbsp;How can I position that to be in alignment with the company goals?</li></ul>From considering these aspects you will be better able to create a targeted and realistic development plan, allow yourself to encounter any mishaps along the way without losing faith, and enjoy your successes. <br /><br />With best wishes for a happy holiday season and a reflective and productive New Year,<br /><i>Victoria.</i><br /><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Victoria Hall,&nbsp;<span style="font-family: inherit;">Executive&nbsp;</span>Coach</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Founder of Talent Futures</i></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><br /></div><div><ul></ul></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TalentFutures/~4/_mH7lYkajks" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Victoria Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235997417100051193noreply@blogger.com0http://www.talentfuturesblog.com/2015/12/career-progression-factors-part-3-self.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916565476041434126.post-3746159648088823142015-12-01T10:18:00.002+00:002016-09-30T15:38:49.399+01:00Career Progression Factors, part 2 (Your Purpose and Ambition)In <b><a href="http://www.talentfuturesblog.com/2015/11/career-progression-factors-part-1.html" target="_blank">part 1</a></b> of this series on Career Progression Factors, &nbsp;I outlined that there are three factors to master in order to prepare and increase the chances of advancing to a senior leadership role. &nbsp;They are:<br /><div><ol><li>Understanding Your Environment and Organisation Objectives</li><li>Your Purpose and Ambition</li><li>Self Knowledge: &nbsp;Values, Strengths, and Drivers</li></ol><div><b><a href="http://www.talentfuturesblog.com/2015/11/career-progression-factors-part-1.html" target="_blank">Part 1</a></b> outlined the considerations in Understanding Your Environment and Organisation Objectives. &nbsp;Part 2 focuses on Your Purpose and Ambition.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Regular readers of this blog will be familiar with my various postings on Purpose, or as I like to call it, <a href="http://www.talentfuturesblog.com/search/label/Purposeful%20Selfishness" target="_blank">Purposeful Selfishness</a>. &nbsp;This blog focuses on four areas to think about in making your purpose and ambition known.<br /><br /><h4>1. &nbsp;How well do you convey your personal purpose and ambition?</h4><div>It is more likely that senior leaders in your organisation will think of you for new opportunities if they know what you are looking for and can see specifically how you fit into that role. &nbsp;It is therefore important to be clear on the kinds of work you are most energised by, and how you would like to contribute further. &nbsp;Often people want a promotion because it is a way of being recognised and it comes with a bit more money. But being broadly ambitious of advancement is often a turn-off to more senior leaders because it indicates a lack of reflection about what and how you would contribute at a more senior level. &nbsp; Unless you also think about what would be required of you in a senior leadership role, and how you would manage the heightened responsibilities, it is unlikely that you will be convincingly prepared to take that next step. &nbsp;Therefore...<br /><br /><a name='more'></a></div></div><h4></h4><h4>2. &nbsp;Give yourself the time to reflect and dream about the future.</h4><span style="font-weight: normal;">When I start working with a new coaching client, I ask him to visualise how life will be different once he has met his goals. &nbsp;Who will call him? &nbsp;What kinds of projects will he work on? &nbsp;What decisions will he be involved in? &nbsp;How will he feel when he has achieved his goals? &nbsp;How will work with his team be different? &nbsp;These are the same questions you need to ask yourself when you are ambitious of a senior leadership role. &nbsp;Unless you can visualise it clearly for yourself, how can you communicate it clearly to others when opportunity arises?</span><br /><div>Creating a compelling vision of the future is essential for you to feel motivated and to make progress. &nbsp;You can reinforce this for yourself by writing it down. &nbsp;It is also recommended that you write about your future achievements in the <b><i>past tense</i></b>. &nbsp;How did you achieve what you set out to do? &nbsp;You can be as creative or as efficient with this as you like. &nbsp;Some ways to do that are:</div><ul><li>Write yourself a letter as if you were at some point in the future (3, 5, or even 10 years from now). &nbsp;What would you tell yourself? &nbsp;Some people prefer to think about what achievements would they like to look back on at their retirement party.</li><li>Write a series of newspaper headlines that describe your future achievements.</li><li>Place yourself a year in the future and write a narrative about how the year has been, now you have achieved your goals.</li><li>Be sure to utilise your understanding of the Environment and Organisation Objectives (see <a href="http://www.talentfuturesblog.com/2015/11/career-progression-factors-part-1.html" target="_blank">part 1 of this series</a>) as you consider your ambitions. &nbsp;How can you leverage what you want to do, given your predictions for future trends in your company and industry? &nbsp;</li></ul><h4></h4><h4>3. &nbsp;Practice talking about the direction you are heading and use the present tense.</h4><span style="font-weight: normal;">It is intensely uncomfortable for many people to talk about where they want to go without feeling boastful. &nbsp;So start simply by talking with friends who you think will be supportive of what you want to achieve. &nbsp;You may find that friends who are more associates than close friends may be easy to do this with. &nbsp;Close friends can sometimes feel threatened by the purposeful advancement of another friend's career. &nbsp;The unstated question is how much will your relationship change? &nbsp;This can be particularly true for ambitious women with families and their female friends who are also mothers, and for friends who are former peers in a previous company.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: normal;">When you talk about your direction, try to use the </span><i>present tense</i><span style="font-weight: normal;">, rather than the past tense or conditional tense. &nbsp;Compare these two sentences:&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">"With my experience as a technology systems architect in a top tier bank, I now want to work in a specialist team where we create something together from the ground up." &nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">"I have worked in a top tier bank as a systems architect, but I would like to work in a smaller team where we create something together from the ground up." &nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">Both say the same thing, but the first one is an active voice (with my experience...I now want), and therefore sounds more compelling and focused. &nbsp;The audience is more inclined to believe the speaker will actually achieve his ambitions, and will therefore be more inclined to take an interest and help him. &nbsp;The second statement sounds more like a complaint. &nbsp;The passivity of it (I have worked...but I would like) implies the second speaker sees a tougher road ahead and needs more confidence.</span><br /><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I8PrhOjaZQI/VlWNVJ6YZbI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/dpWUCG7Eb0o/s1600/Networking%2Bgraphic.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I8PrhOjaZQI/VlWNVJ6YZbI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/dpWUCG7Eb0o/s400/Networking%2Bgraphic.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div>Once you have your ambition statement down, try to arrange to meet with people who are influential in the kind of work you desire, but who don't know you very well. &nbsp;Because their context and knowledge of you is narrow, if you do a good job painting the picture of your hoped for future, complete with an understanding of the <a href="http://www.talentfuturesblog.com/2015/11/career-progression-factors-part-1.html" target="_blank">Environmental landscape</a>, you will be more engaging and they may be more inclined to help you. &nbsp;Which leads to the last piece of the puzzle...</div><div><br /><h4><b>4. Ask for advice.</b></h4>Think of the last time somebody asked you for advice. &nbsp;Chances are you were flattered. &nbsp;And if that same person also painted a compelling vision of the kind of work they are ambitious to do and how they want to contribute to an organisation, chances are that you would naturally think about ways that you could help them. &nbsp;It is hard not to like a future-focused contributor. &nbsp;Articulate your desired future as realistically and clearly as possible, and ask for your contact's advice and insight on specifics (rather than generalities). &nbsp; What do they see in the market? &nbsp;What hurdles is your plan have you not thought of? &nbsp;Who do they know that you can meet? &nbsp;Avoid asking if they know of any upcoming job opportunities. &nbsp;If the person is sufficiently impressed by you, they will tell you about any openings. &nbsp;</div><br />In conclusion, don't be hesitant to step forward. &nbsp;It is much easier to find what you are looking for if you can clearly describe it to others. <br /><br />In part 3 of Career Progression Factors, I will address Self Knowledge.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Victoria Hall,&nbsp;<span style="font-family: inherit;">Executive&nbsp;</span>Coach</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Founder of Talent Futures</i></span></div></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TalentFutures/~4/DxCedcSsyXM" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Victoria Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235997417100051193noreply@blogger.com0http://www.talentfuturesblog.com/2015/12/career-progression-factors-part-2.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916565476041434126.post-2844834968590522482015-11-24T09:42:00.001+00:002015-11-25T09:16:31.545+00:00Career Progression Factors, part 1How do you advance in your career? &nbsp;I've met a lot of clients who, upon reaching the last platform before a truly senior leadership role, feel stuck. &nbsp;In the past it has always been enough to excel at their work, apply for new jobs, and take the next step. &nbsp;But this formula only works to a certain level in any organisation. To have a truly executive career, you need to think about your personal and professional development.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When I encounter a client who is stuck on their career path, or losing motivation, I find that it generally comes down to one or more of the three factors of development: &nbsp;Environment and Organisation Objectives, Your Purpose and Ambition, and Self Knowledge. &nbsp;This series on Career Progression Factors will cover each of the factors in turn, along with some thoughts on finding your own career "sweet spot."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oPZlTpt5MxE/VkxDQ67sLHI/AAAAAAAAALs/ZknjV9gOiAI/s1600/Sweet%2BSpot%2Bgraphic.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oPZlTpt5MxE/VkxDQ67sLHI/AAAAAAAAALs/ZknjV9gOiAI/s640/Sweet%2BSpot%2Bgraphic.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><a name='more'></a><h4>Environment &amp; Organisation Objectives</h4>Development is not only about <i>who </i>we are and our abilities, but <i>how</i>&nbsp;we are in our environment--what our environment brings out in us. &nbsp;Naturally our personality informs our behaviour, but I'll get to that in the Self Knowledge part. &nbsp;For now, let's consider what you can do to think about your Environment objectively. <br /><br /><b>1. Connect your goals to those above you.</b>&nbsp; You need to be able to clearly state how your work contributes to your organisation's goals. &nbsp;If you don't already know your boss's objectives and how your objectives tie into hers, find out! &nbsp;Find out the big boss's objectives, too. &nbsp;Try to develop a deeper and wider perspective. &nbsp;Keep in mind that while there are many things in short supply, one of the biggest is time. &nbsp;And when none of us has enough time, we need help. <b>This includes your boss!</b>&nbsp; If you can position your contributions in a way that emphasizes benefit to the organisation, then you are a step ahead of the crowd.<br /><br /><b>2.</b>&nbsp;<b>Be curious and share your knowledge. </b>&nbsp;If you don't already know the answers to the following questions, find out:<br /><br /><ul><li>What industry and world events are affecting the way your company does business?</li><li>What innovations are your competitors coming out with?</li><li>What are the predictions for your customers' needs in the future?</li><li>How does all this impact you, your work, and your company?</li></ul>Once you have these answers, it is not enough to keep them to yourself. &nbsp;Talk about these things with others, be curious, and ask them what they see. &nbsp;Get the reputation for being someone who knows what is going on outside your company and who shares information. <br /><br />It is commonly said that getting ahead is not about what you know, but who you know. &nbsp;This is true to a large degree, but only because it is hard to find that highly qualified someone if they aren't visible. &nbsp;So accept this for what is is, and make sure that when you meet people you have something interesting to talk about! &nbsp;Then the chances that they will remember you are significantly increased. &nbsp;And what seemed like an unfair way of the world suddenly becomes much more reasonable.<br /><br /><b>3. &nbsp;Share credit when it is genuine, but speak in specifics about your own contributions. &nbsp;</b>You've heard the advice before about overuse of "we" in an interview instead of "I" brings into question what you have personally contributed. &nbsp;On the other hand, some are faulted with using "I" when truly there were more people involved and "we" would be more accurate. &nbsp;How can you win on this conundrum? &nbsp;The safest route is to describe what the team (we) achieved, but to be specific about what you yourself contributed to the larger effort. &nbsp;You will not only seem like a talented person, but also a team player who can connect how her contributions fit the larger organisation's goals. <br /><br /><b>4. &nbsp;Support the organisation's interests.</b>&nbsp; In my 17 years of working in executive development and coaching, I have never met a person who was promoted, but who saw themselves as an outsider in their organisation. &nbsp;People can become disenfranchised and want to leave, but in order to advance it is first necessary to be seen as part of the solution and future progress of the company. &nbsp;If you cannot support the wider interests or ethos, try to find a part of it that you <i>can</i>&nbsp;support, or make a move elsewhere.<br /><br />In part 2 of Career Progression Factors, I will address Purpose &amp; Ambition.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Victoria Hall,&nbsp;<span style="font-family: inherit;">Executive&nbsp;</span>Coach</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Founder of Talent Futures</i></span></div></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TalentFutures/~4/mGdLDiHQ04Q" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Victoria Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235997417100051193noreply@blogger.com0http://www.talentfuturesblog.com/2015/11/career-progression-factors-part-1.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916565476041434126.post-20463106941437964902015-10-08T08:20:00.001+01:002015-10-08T12:02:58.739+01:00Napoleon Spoke the Truth on Developing Talent (Four Limitations as a Leader)<div class="MsoPlainText">The other day I came across this quote* from Napoleon:</div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><i>"The art of appointing men is not nearly so difficult as the art of allowing those appointed to attain their full worth."&nbsp;</i></blockquote><div>I've never associated Napoleon with being a leader concerned about talent development &nbsp;so much as he was concerned about being the top dog. &nbsp;Indeed, he achieved the rank of General by age 24 so perhaps this quote belies Napoleon as the impatient talent himself, rather than the developmentally-insightful leader. &nbsp;He was incredibly well-read, and had the unusual combination of being both a strategist and operationally gifted. &nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>From either the perspective of the developmentally-focused leader or the impatient youth, this quote holds truth. <br /><a name='more'></a><br />Much has been achieved in assessment methodology since a means to select Allied spies in World War II gave birth to what a great many of my occupational psychologist colleagues owe their bread and butter. &nbsp;There really is no excuse these days not to have a rigorous selection process--from the minimum of behaviourally-based interviews, psychometrics, and reference checks, to the full-blown, external consultancy run, day-in-the-life of an executive, scenario-based assessment centres for more critical hires. &nbsp; &nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>So what is it about <i>"allowing those appointed to attain their full worth"</i>&nbsp;that is so difficult? &nbsp;In an earlier <b><a href="http://www.talentfuturesblog.com/2013/06/how-do-you-motivate-staff-actually-you.html" style="text_decoration: underline;" target="_blank">blog posting</a>&nbsp;(<a href="http://www.talentfuturesblog.com/2013/06/how-do-you-motivate-staff-actually-you.html" target="_blank">How Do You Motivate Staff? Actually you can't...</a>)</b>, I emphasized the importance of developing a self-determined environment where staff have the ABCs--Autonomy, Belonging, and opportunity to increase their Competence. &nbsp;Easier said than done! &nbsp;In my work as an executive coach and talent management consultant, I see four ways in which leaders limit those below them from achieving autonomy, belonging and competence.</div><div><br /></div><div><u>Four Limitations as a Leader</u></div><div><div class="MsoPlainText"></div><ul><li>Task orientation to exclusion of Relationship</li><li>Lack of clarity in communication</li><li>Perfectionism/high attention to detail</li><li>Highly affiliative (a strong need to be liked)</li></ul><br /><div class="MsoPlainText"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><o:p></o:p></div></div><div><u>What Do These Look Like?</u></div><div>Having one of these Achilles heels doesn't mean you can not be a good leader, but it does require diligence and most likely a life-long mindfulness of the need to ensure your behaviour is not an indulgence in your limitation. &nbsp;For example, you may be a brilliant strategist and intuitively determine the path forward long before your colleagues have even entered a discussion, but if you don't make an effort to complement that with asking questions of your colleagues, listening to their responses, genuinely trying to see things from their perspective, and incorporating their ideas into solutions (i.e., tending relationships) you won't find enough people who are either willing to follow or fully understand the direction you are trying to lead. &nbsp;This is also the case for those with communication challenges, particularly when trying to lead change. &nbsp;Unlike the battlefield, the call to action won't be executed well in an organisation if the reason behind it isn't first understood and embraced.</div><div><br /></div><div>Leaders with a perfectionistic streak can be easy to spot. &nbsp;Depending on the other aspects of personality of these individuals, they may be tolerated by direct reports, particularly if staff see they can learn from the leader and still advance. &nbsp;However, most people have met a perfectionist who gets in the way of meeting deadlines, and/or who strongly criticizes others who invariably fall short of the mark. &nbsp;These de-motivational experiences commonly prompt talented staff to voluntarily seek not just a better leader, but most often an entirely new organisation.</div><div><br /></div><div>Leaders who acknowledge that their perfectionism is a hindrance to relationships and consequently manage against the more overt demonstration of it, and those who are highly affiliative, can seem unpredictable or even mercurial to staff. &nbsp;For affiliatives, behaviours may include socialising to an inappropriate level with those at a much more junior rank, sharing confidential information to build a bond, and inexplicable wariness toward others. &nbsp;It often seems to others that perfectionists and affiliatives are sending mixed messages. &nbsp;Staff therefore need to have a strong level of flexibility, a thicker skin, and confirm expectations on delegated responsibilities, for starters. &nbsp;All of this takes energy and attention away from attaining one's own full worth.</div><div><br /></div><div>Affiliatives often feel excluded from one social group or another. &nbsp;If this is the peer group, they may "hang out" too much in the direct report team. &nbsp;Much of the social limitation that a highly affiliative person may believe she experiences is unconsciously and unintentionally inflicted by others. &nbsp;But it can become self-fulfilling in that when the person feels excluded, their behaviour (e.g., defensiveness, withdrawal, etc.) may indeed lead others to genuinely exclude. &nbsp;The impact to talented staff of an affliliative leader, therefore, is that they too may be excluded from opportunity. &nbsp;And in extremes, an Us-Them mentality may develop in the team versus the rest of the organisation. &nbsp;</div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u>Addressing the Limitations</u></div><div>Exclusive task orientation and lack of clarity in communication are addressed by mindful attention to one's behaviour with regard to others and their cognitive processing. &nbsp;Once mastered, and with repeated experience of gaining better results, an executive focusing on a relationship or a communication limitation will begin to change his attitude about the importance of including others in the thinking stage, and may even begin to value that process. &nbsp;Coach and client may also do some internal script work in this transition.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>Limitations of perfectionism or high affiliation are instead best addressed within one's own psychological processing. &nbsp;Working with an individual's internal scripts that inform behaviour is a key component in the coaching, whereas a focus that is primarily behavioural could instead be a distraction from the essential work of client and coach that will enable a transition in leadership.</div><div><br /></div><div>"Allowing those appointed to attain their full worth" implies getting out of the way of the junior ranks. &nbsp;The above four limitations on leadership can be addressed through individual diligence and potentially additional support through coaching. &nbsp;At the same time, the determination of the talented individual to fulfill her potential, and the organisation's culture that either hinders or facilitates that fulfillment are also key components.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i>Victoria Hall, Executive Coach</i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i>Founder of Talent Futures</i></div><div><br /></div><div><i>* </i>Andrew Roberts: <u>Napoleon the Great</u>, Penguin Random House UK, 2015.</div><div><br /></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><o:p></o:p></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TalentFutures/~4/yxsGVVdbcvA" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Victoria Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235997417100051193noreply@blogger.com0http://www.talentfuturesblog.com/2015/10/napoleon-spoke-truth-on-developing.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916565476041434126.post-15320718694966917442015-09-09T08:06:00.000+01:002015-11-18T09:24:32.175+00:00How do you prepare for psychometrics?Recently a former client posed this question, <i>"<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm through to the last 5 for a role and part of the process involves completing psychometrics. &nbsp;Can you point me in the direction of some good practice samples please?"&nbsp;</span></i><br /><span style="color: #006751; font-family: &quot;calibri&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal">Psychometrics measure personality preferences. &nbsp;Additionally, some organisations may administer questionnaires that seek to determine what your energising strengths or your motivators are. &nbsp;In some instances, an organisation may also administer cognitive ability tests. &nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">There is no way to "prepare" for psychometrics or other questionnaires, other than to </div><a name='more'></a>make sure you are well rested and feeling refreshed, not harried, when you take them. If they are online personality or motivation questionnaires that you can take at home, plan a time in your day when you typically feel at your best. &nbsp;Answer each question honestly and don't deliberate on any one answer; just keep moving through the questionnaire. Avoid second guessing the questions--that will make things worse, not better, as most questionnaires have a built in "fake" scale. &nbsp;If you try to second-guess what answers the interviewers may seek, you will likely end up with invalid overall results. Essentially, the administrators of the instrument will know you fudged it. <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Bear in mind that personality questionnaires are measuring the strength of your response. &nbsp;For this reason the questions can seem quite repetitive. &nbsp;Do NOT purposefully try to answer with unfailing consistency. &nbsp;Also try not to get too irritated with the repetition. &nbsp;Simply answer each question afresh, without thinking of your answers to previously similar questions. &nbsp;By doing this, your results will be most accurate.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p>If you are asked to take a cognitive ability test (for example, something that measures your numerical ability, pattern recognition, or verbal reasoning), these tests will always have sample questions that you answer first before you take the real test. &nbsp;If anything is unclear about these sample questions, be sure to ask the test administrator before proceeding with the test. &nbsp;Cognitive ability tests usually start with the easy questions and progressively get harder. &nbsp;These tests are timed and most people do not complete all the questions. &nbsp;When I worked at an assessment consultancy, I only ever saw one person who managed to complete an entire cognitive test and get only one wrong answer. &nbsp;It is really, really rare. &nbsp;And the threshold for doing well enough on a cognitive test is typically lower than you may expect. &nbsp;</o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p>If telling you that you can't prepare for psychometrics seems a bit defeatist, it may help to know&nbsp;<i>why </i>and <i>how&nbsp;</i>organisations use psychometrics in hiring. &nbsp;The best predictor of future performance is past performance. &nbsp;For this reason, companies want to have some valid and reliable ways to see how you might be inclined to behave. &nbsp;While personality isn't an absolute predictor of performance, personality does inform our behaviour. &nbsp;But our experiences and learning are mitigators of our behaviour. &nbsp;Think of a shy person who learns to become good at public speaking. &nbsp;Their personality might continue to be a bit reserved, but they have mitigated their behaviour when it comes to the act of public speaking.&nbsp;</o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p>A good interviewer will&nbsp;</o:p>ask you questions based on your psychometric results, so prepare for that by using your self-knowledge of your weaknesses. For example, perhaps you have had feedback that you tend to be too rigid or overly structured at times. &nbsp;That will probably come through in &nbsp;your psychometrics. &nbsp;In your interview, therefore, you might find an opportunity to reference your tendency to be quite structured in your approach and also give an example of how you have learned and demonstrated an ability to be more flexible.</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p>Nobody can completely change their personality, but you can make different choices in your behaviour, by knowing your predilections and tendencies. Let your self-awareness (and the actions you take to mitigate any weaknesses) show through in your interview. &nbsp;You interviewers will most likely be more interested in a self-aware individual who is a continuous learner than they are in finding the needle-in-the-haystack perfect match.&nbsp;</o:p><br /><o:p><br /></o:p><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Victoria Hall,&nbsp;<span style="font-family: inherit;">Executive&nbsp;</span>Coach</i></span></div><o:p></o:p><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Founder of Talent Futures</i></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TalentFutures/~4/cxVQe3j2_Vg" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Victoria Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235997417100051193noreply@blogger.com0http://www.talentfuturesblog.com/2015/09/how-do-you-prepare-for-psychometrics.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916565476041434126.post-16631769518556680272015-03-17T12:21:00.000+00:002015-03-17T12:21:17.992+00:00OMG! What did she just ask for? On women and negotiations...<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Recently a client asked me to put together two seminars on negotiation for women. &nbsp;I've always enjoyed teaching negotiation, based on my studies at Columbia University's Center for International Conflict Resolution. &nbsp;Not having taught negotiation exclusively to a group of women before, but only to mixed gender groups, and drawing from my continuing interest in working with women through the forums that I started in 2012, &nbsp;I was interested to refresh the topic for myself with this new angle. Accordingly, I read up on the latest studies about women and negotiation. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Often I have met women in the managerial levels of organisations who struggle with assertiveness, only to be surprised by exactly how assertive they can be in the right circumstances. &nbsp;With their friends or informally, when the barriers are down, they can be quite forthcoming and articulate about their opinions and aims, but at work there seem to be self-imposed limits. &nbsp;If you've read much of this blog previously, you'll know that determining your purpose in work and life, and allowing yourself to be purposefully selfish in pursuing it, is critical to success and leadership. &nbsp;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><h4 style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"></h4><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What is it about negotiation and asking for what you want,&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">that makes having a sense of purpose so elusive for some?</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">&nbsp;</span></span></h3><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The research is quite startling. &nbsp;It proves what we have intuitively known for some time.&nbsp;</span></div><a name='more'></a><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">There is no difference between genders in ability to negotiate,&nbsp;</span></b><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">but women who are assertive are often punished. &nbsp;&nbsp;</span></b></span></h3><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the past I observed to a female client who is a lawyer that when when negotiating for herself she was far less assertive than I knew she had been for others. &nbsp;She replied, "This is true," but then went on to say that she didn't know why. &nbsp;This is actually a widely-held phenomenon. &nbsp;When negotiating on behalf of another, women are just as good at negotiating as men are for themselves or for others. &nbsp;When it comes to themselves, women tend to be less assertive, and come in with lower counteroffers. &nbsp;The cause is an ingrained fear of breaking social norms of not being caring and cooperative.&nbsp; It is an innate fear of <b><i>backlash</i></b>.&nbsp; And it has been proven that most men <i>and most women</i>, tend to punish women who assert themselves about their own compensation. &nbsp;Fearing this will be the case, many women avoid the situation entirely. &nbsp;And according to another study, women who are seen to be overstepping their status, or behaving powerfully when their social status is more junior, are often criticised or punished by those in more senior positions. &nbsp;(See the Resources page for article references.)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I remember my first job after university was as an Editorial Assistant in the music textbooks division at a big publishing house in New York. &nbsp;With my honors degree in English literature, I thought I was going to go places. &nbsp;Four months later all I had done for my boss (nicknamed by my colleagues "the Dragon Lady") was type Fed Ex labels and type her contact list onto individual rolodex cards so she could flick through them with her long red talons. &nbsp;In my spare time I helped the department PA with her job and taught her computer skills. &nbsp;I was bored out of my mind. &nbsp;When I found out that I was actually earning $1000 a year less than the PA, I was furious. &nbsp;Feeling I had more talent than typing skills alone, I asked for a raise.&nbsp; Most likely I was naively assertive about it, not being too clued up about office politics in month 4 of my career.&nbsp; Imagine my humiliation and surprise when The Dragon Lady slid open her drawer, pulled out a fat wadge of paper with names of all the music educators in the United States and told me to get back to my typing.&nbsp; Thankfully, a senior editor who saw me chained to the typewriter day in and day out took pity on me.&nbsp; He knew how to handle the Dragon Lady.&nbsp; "If Victoria thinks she's such hot stuff, why don't we give her some more challenging work and see how she handles it?" he told her.&nbsp; He then gave me the copyeditor's test which I passed with flying colours and three years later I had risen 4 levels and was the youngest Project Editor the company had ever had.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But my story isn't unique.&nbsp; Each year I hear from women who don't get the promotions and financial rewards they deserve.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></div><h3 style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>The assertive ones get squashed, and the inhibited ones seethe.&nbsp; </b></span></h3><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The experts tell us that the way around this is through several things:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"></div><ol><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">When asking for a raise or promotion, make reference to your relationships in the organisation with powerful people in a non-threatening manner. &nbsp;For example, "My former boss and mentor, X, recommended that I put yourself forward for this role."</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Reference your skills and how you will specifically apply them to the organisation's benefit. For example, "It may seem bold of me to ask for this, but given my track record in the company and my knowledge of the department, my assertiveness could work well if I were to handle the management of suppliers that the role requires."</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Maintain relationships by solving the problem of your lack of compensation or promotion together.&nbsp; For example, "Knowing how hard it was to get the headcount for my role and how hectic the production cycles can be, I'd like to cut my teeth on some more challenging work so I can be more helpful later on."&nbsp; OR "Given my honors degree and the fact that I had my choice of two roles in the company, I was really surprised to find out I am earning less than the PA.&nbsp; I'm sure the company wouldn't want to be thought to be inconsistent in its salary policies.&nbsp; What has to happen to resolve the situation?"&nbsp;</span></li></ol><br /><h3 style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>And what do you do if you are the boss?&nbsp;</b>&nbsp;</span></h3><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you find yourself thinking that the younger generation is just a bit too entitled, try to see past this and establish objective performance targets and communicate clearly on the potential rewards.&nbsp; If you find yourself often relying on a woman in your department and feeling grateful for her contributions, take the time to think about how she compares to others at her level and then look up hers and their salary figures.&nbsp; Is there some adjustment that needs to happen?&nbsp; And if you find yourself on the other end of a woman's attempts at being assertive, remember that you, too, have been in her shoes.&nbsp; How can you help her develop the important skill of negotiation and influence?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Victoria Hall, <span style="font-family: inherit;">Executive </span>Coach</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Founder of Talent Futures</i></span></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TalentFutures/~4/ly1fPTOJhIU" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Victoria Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235997417100051193noreply@blogger.com0http://www.talentfuturesblog.com/2015/03/omg-what-did-she-just-ask-for-on-women.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916565476041434126.post-41887756715913737912014-11-17T09:58:00.001+00:002015-12-08T18:22:06.413+00:00Flying High in the Aerospace IndustryI will be speaking at the annual conference of the Women in Aviation and Aerospace Committee of the <a href="http://www.aerosociety.com/" target="_blank">Royal Aeronautical Society</a>. The conference, <a href="http://www.aerosociety.com/Events/Event-List/1457/Flying-High-in-the-Aerospace-Industry" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Flying High in the Aerospace Industry</a>, is on Friday 21 November 2014 at The Royal Aeronautical Society, 4 Hamilton Place, London W1J 7BQ and will be exploring the topics of continued professional development and mentoring - What steps can you take to control your personal and professional development and where could this take you? How can mentoring help you in your career? Why should you become a mentor?<br /><br />I will be addressing the conference on <b>How to Move Forward in Your Career: Insights from Behind the Coaching Room Door.&nbsp;</b><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Victoria Hall, Executive Coach</i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Founder of Talent Futures</i></span></span></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TalentFutures/~4/Yq4AGaS6tmw" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Robert Hugillhttps://plus.google.com/103095364817792991442noreply@blogger.com0http://www.talentfuturesblog.com/2014/11/flying-high-in-aerospace-industry.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916565476041434126.post-21005418795994262612014-09-16T17:00:00.000+01:002016-09-30T15:21:30.324+01:00Self-Discovery in Coaching, Part 2: Challenges Posed by Organisational Life<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As an executive coach, my ethos is to create deeper and broader understanding with my clients.&nbsp; If the client can have a broader view of the world, and deeper understanding of himself as a leader, then the capacity to continue to develop after our work ends is his (or hers) for a lifetime.&nbsp; At the heart of this process is self-discovery.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In executive coaching engagements, however, there are two major challenges to self-discovery by the client:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><ol start="1" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A client’s organisational conditioning that developmental insight is given,&nbsp; rather than gained through reflection.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Time—the increasing amount of change required in leaders by shorter and shorter coaching engagements.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></span></li></ol><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Conditioned to Receive Feedback&nbsp;</span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 10pt;">Clients sometimes come to coaching in the hopes that mysteries about themselves or what holds them back</span></div><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><br /><a name='more'></a><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 10pt;">from achieving their goals will magically be revealed by the coach.&nbsp;&nbsp;This most likely stems from the conditioning so many people in organisations have had about where developmental insight comes from.&nbsp;&nbsp;Accustomed to seeking out feedback from the organisation in the form of performance reviews, talent assessment centres, and employee surveys, it is only natural that at some point a client will ask for the coach's analysis or interpretation, and is eager to have it.&nbsp; The client is an intelligent, ambitious person and keen to progress in coaching, after all.&nbsp;</span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 10pt;">It is too easy to assume when working with executives that if the client asks, the client wants, and is prepared for, a response.&nbsp; Not necessarily. Nor should responding be avoided.</span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></i></span></span></div><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">“What do you think is happening when I ____?&nbsp; What is your analysis? What should I do differently?"</span></i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 10pt;">&nbsp;asks the client.&nbsp; How should the coach respond to these questions?&nbsp; Any circumnavigation of a client's direct question for insight from the coach is seen as evasive.&nbsp; For example,&nbsp;<i>"It's not so much about what&nbsp;I&nbsp;think,”&nbsp;</i>ventures the unprepared coach,&nbsp;<i>“as what&nbsp;you&nbsp;think.&nbsp; What do you think is going on?"</i>&nbsp;</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 10pt;">To formulate a more helpful response in these moments is perhaps one of the greatest challenges in session a coach ever faces--how to maintain authenticity and connection while still facilitating self-discovery.&nbsp; The coach must consider why the client asks, what purpose an answer would serve, how the client may experience the response, and how productive it is to the current work--all within the time it takes to formulate an appropriate response and deliver it!&nbsp; Maintaining objectivity and speaking truthfully without causing harm can only be judged in the context of the specific leadership change discussed, the personality preferences of the client, and the relationship between client and coach. I stand in favour of answering questions that clients ask, but with measure and while maintaining objective curiosity about the client and the client’s internal process. When the client asks for insight, it is fertile ground to plant a seed for their further reflection.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 10pt;">Self-discovery through reflection can be developed further in clients through effective modelling by the coach.&nbsp; My process for modelling reflection is the&nbsp;</span><b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://www.talentfutures.com/5-4-ReflectiveSummary.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Confidential Reflective Summary</span></a>. &nbsp;</b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 10pt;">Clients also need to be asked about their thinking&nbsp;and&nbsp;their progress on a regular basis.&nbsp; If they can’t articulate it to the coach, then there is little chance they will be able to speak to the gains they have made in their development when they are considered for further opportunity.&nbsp; Discussing self-discoveries normalizes reflection in organisation life.&nbsp; &nbsp;And if an executive can speak to his gains from self-reflection, he is more prepared for the lonely role of senior executive leadership.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Time</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 10pt;">The second challenge to self-discovery in coaching relationships is that there is not always sufficient time built into the coaching engagement for the client to self-discover.&nbsp; Organisations that limit coaching programmes to only four or fewer sessions so that more people can experience coaching, do so at the cost of significant change for any one individual.&nbsp; Client and coach must meet frequently enough so that there is continuity (at least once a month),&nbsp;and executives must be expected to focus on their own development&nbsp;</span><i style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 10pt;">between sessions</i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 10pt;">.&nbsp; In a four session package, three periods of reflection and some parting thoughts are hardly enough to make lasting change.&nbsp;</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 10pt;">Another time challenge is within the session itself.&nbsp; The moment in a session where a discovery may be made can sometimes get lost in the sea of competing priorities that the executive brings to session.&nbsp; Some clients simply have more to convey and explore than others do, and therefore they may require more sessions. &nbsp;As a coaching conversation can be intense, there is usually no benefit to sessions lasting longer than 2 hours maximum.&nbsp;</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 10pt;">The final challenge to self-discovery from a time point of view is the impending events in business life.&nbsp; Self-discovered insight may come too late to avoid lost commercial opportunity. &nbsp;In these instances, should the coach step in before it's too late?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 10pt;">Imagine a coach has a client who has not yet addressed his innate resistance to authority.&nbsp; The client faces a big negotiation in which he believes himself to be the underdog.&nbsp; The coach tries, through her questions and reflections, to explore the relationship between the client and the other party, in order to approach “the neighbourhood” of resistance to authority. The client, however, stays squarely in the realm of skills, tactics and tangibles about the negotiation.&nbsp; Hopefully the coach can present her concern to the client that his reluctance to discuss the relationship with the other party may mean there is something uncomfortable there to explore.&nbsp; Alternately the coach could observe that one tactic in preparing for negotiation is to “know your opponent,” emphasizing that the strength of relationship in negotiations often determines the strength of the negotiated solution.&nbsp; If the client does not then approach the neighbourhood of resistance to authority, there is little more the coach can do at that point without the client experiencing an over-stepping of boundaries and a breach of trust.&nbsp; To clearly state her concern that the client’s inability to work through resistance to authority may be negatively impacting negotiations could only work if all else fails&nbsp;</span><i style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 10pt;">and</i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 10pt;">&nbsp;(to Freud's point about&nbsp;revealing insight directly) the coach and the client have a long-standing relationship of deep trust. &nbsp;</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Conclusion</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 10pt;">These days, coaching is widely accepted as a means to enable executives to achieve more, develop further, and&nbsp;fulfill&nbsp;their potential.&nbsp; An inevitable outcome is also reduction of stress and greater self-understanding. &nbsp;With regular reflection, clients can identify the specific situations, emotions, and thoughts that heighten stress and can lead them to less effective performance. &nbsp;Thus armed with this increased self-knowledge, they can then make a course correction consciously, without giving in to previously familiar patterns of behaviour, and instead create a higher level of effectiveness. &nbsp;To reach this level takes different clients different amounts of time, depending on the challenges in their environment and themselves. &nbsp;HR professionals would do well to emphasize reflection and self-awareness in their organisation's performance management systems, so that a learning environment is the norm. &nbsp;Additionally, they could ensure the resources are available for coaching that has begun to reach completion. &nbsp;For some clients, coaching may be as brief as six months, but for others the time required may be as long as twelve or even fifteen months.</span></div></span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Victoria Hall, Executive Coach</i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Founder of Talent Futures</i></span></span></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TalentFutures/~4/39cU_vCgnAQ" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Victoria Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235997417100051193noreply@blogger.com0http://www.talentfuturesblog.com/2014/09/self-discovery-in-coaching-part-2.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916565476041434126.post-32804864534776904522014-07-15T14:01:00.000+01:002014-07-15T14:01:10.465+01:00Self-Discovery in Coaching, Part 1: On Assessment and Wild Analysis<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Lately I have had a few new clients start at the same time, and so have been reflecting on my process in the early stage of working with a client.&nbsp; Unrelatedly, I was also recently reading about Freud's concept of "wild analysis" which is the act of revealing to a patient upon first hearing their difficulties, the doctor’s interpretation or speculation of the person’s unconscious material.&nbsp; Freud cautioned against wild analysis:</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"Any attempt to bowl the patient over at first consultation, by suddenly <br />revealing to him the secrets interpreted by the doctor is reprehensible <br />in terms of technique, and usually punished by deep hostility on the <br />part of the patient and an end to any further chance of influencing him."<span style="line-height: 18.18181800842285px;"><b>&nbsp;</b></span></i><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Freud was, of course, referring to psychoanalysis, and often very troubled patients, but the caution to avoid wild analysis got me thinking about two things.&nbsp;</span></span></div><ol><li><i style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Does the use of assessment at the beginning of coaching thwart self-discovery?&nbsp;</span></i></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>What impact would "wild analysis" have in the initial chemistry meeting with a client? &nbsp;</i></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</span></li></ol></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In coaching, as in psychotherapy, the most effective learning the client makes is through self-discovery, rather </span><br /><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">than the coach informing the client of what may be driving the client’s behaviours.&nbsp; Freud’s view was that in order for an analyst to reveal the client’s unconscious material to the client,&nbsp;the patient would need to be "in the neighbourhood" of the discovery himself, and&nbsp;that there would need to be a bond of trust between the two necessarily developed over time.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But how does this warning fit with the very common practice of assessment at the start of executive coaching?&nbsp; I myself often use personality questionnaires and 360 feedback with clients at the beginning.&nbsp; Does this practice thwart self-discovery?&nbsp; <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I don’t believe so. Use of these tools are indeed effective short cuts to client and coach insight, but they typically only serve to give the pair a common language in discussing the client’s predilections, strengths and challenges.&nbsp; <span style="font-size: large;">Feedback discussions should ideally open the door for self-discovery, </span>and be about creating some clarity with the client on how personality and behaviour interconnect.&nbsp; In effect, they provide a map toward “the neighbourhood” of self-discovery.&nbsp; If handled in an objective, sensitive, and exploratory fashion, psychometric and 360 feedback also establishes a strong bond between client and coach. &nbsp;It sets the stage for a partnership where they define the goals of the coaching engagement and jointly embark on the client’s development path.&nbsp; What happens after this initial assessment in coaching is the real territory of self-discovery.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Where wild analysis may genuinely be a pitfall is in the initial “chemistry” meeting with a client.</span>&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">In an attempt to dazzle the client with brilliance, a novice coach may be inclined to reveal insight gained about the client through the initial conversation.&nbsp; Potential clients may find this uncanny and insightful, and some may even choose to work with the coach under the belief that the coach will have further insight and it will be “good for them.”&nbsp; (Keep a stiff upper lip, and all that.) But without that deeper bond of trust, interpretation in the chemistry meeting </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">can</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> feel rushed and painful.&nbsp; As coaches, I believe we have a responsibility to our clients to be partners, and to use whatever theories we have to inform our curiosity and our questions so that the client may best benefit and self-discover.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Let’s look at a common example for why a coach is introduced to a potential client.&nbsp; The HR contact calls with the complaint that while a manager in the organisation is technically brilliant, and well-liked by senior leadership, he is a poor team manager.&nbsp; There is low morale in the team and staff retention is a problem.&nbsp; The coach goes to the chemistry meeting and early in the conversation forms a view that the manager has a high attention to detail and a high need to control. &nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The coach knows that these traits, if overused, typically result in the manager taking over the work of direct reports which subsequently results in their lack of engagement and low morale.&nbsp; The less the direct reports engage, the less they achieve, and the harder the manager works to make up for their lack of ownership.&nbsp; If the manager is to survive in a bigger executive role, he must learn how not to delve into the details and how to resist taking control of so many things.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Now here is the difference between an effective coach and a “wild analysis” coach.&nbsp;</span> An effective coach uses her observations in her first encounter with the client to inform her questions and to explore the manager’s understanding of his situation.&nbsp; Through their conversation, she is sampling the dynamic of how they may work together, and how responsive to coaching the manager may be, and through their conversation the manager begins to gain his first pieces of self-discovery.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A coach, however, that embarks on “wild analysis” &nbsp;in this same scenario may try to dazzle the client by pointing out the client’s high attention to detail and high need to control, then trot out the impact these things have on engaging staff and what it might be like to work in the manager’s team.&nbsp; If taken further, the wild analysis may include some conjectures about other things in the client’s life and indeed how these patterns developed in the first place earlier in life.&nbsp; Ouch!&nbsp; <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Executives are made of strong stuff, and it is completely believable that some may choose a “wild analysis” coach in the hope that more insight will be dispensed and the correct path laid out before the executive.&nbsp; “I might not like it,” the executive reasons, “but it is what I need.”&nbsp; Over time, however, the motivation to attend the coaching sessions and receive one’s challenging medicine will undoubtedly wane, and appointments may get cancelled at the last minute on a frequent basis.&nbsp; Additionally, the coach, knowing that he should not be exclusively directive, will attempt to draw out the executive’s ideas for change, and in so doing comes across as now withholding that precious insight for which the client originally chose her.&nbsp; The pattern of inform and receive was set in the chemistry meeting and thus the client is not positioned to self-discover, and the coaching will have little, if any, long-term impact.&nbsp; Wild analysis in the chemistry session is just the tip of the iceberg of an unsuccessful coaching engagement. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In Part 2 of <i>Self-Discovery in Coaching, </i>I will look at the challenges to self-discovery posed by organisational life.<o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sources for this post can be found on the <a href="http://www.talentfuturesblog.com/p/resources.html" target="_blank">Resources page</a> of this blog. &nbsp;See Freud and Kets de Vries.</span><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><i>Victoria Hall, Executive Coach</i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i>Founder of Talent Futures</i></div><div><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><br clear="all" /><div id="ftn1"><div class="MsoFootnoteText"><br /></div><div class="MsoFootnoteText"><br /></div></div></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TalentFutures/~4/Jap0quqIhdw" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Victoria Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235997417100051193noreply@blogger.com0http://www.talentfuturesblog.com/2014/07/self-discovery-in-coaching-part-1-on.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916565476041434126.post-67612293421456189912014-07-07T10:20:00.000+01:002014-07-07T10:20:07.207+01:00Overcoming New Job Challenges: A Discussion at Talent Futures Emerging Leaders ForumLast year I created the Emerging Leaders Forum for women on the cusp of executive leadership. &nbsp;We meet every other month for discussion and peer coaching. &nbsp;Last week our topic was Lessons from Experience: Transitioning into a New Role. &nbsp;Since we began the forum last November, roughly half of our members have experienced this challenge. &nbsp;Here's a summary of what all of the forum members have learned over the years when starting a new role. &nbsp;I've included some links to helpful articles on various topics.<br /><br /><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">What's the hardest part about starting a new job?</span></i></b><br /><br /><ul><li>The job spec is never accurate!<a name='more'></a></li><li>Inheriting a team. &nbsp;Their abilities might not be what you would like. &nbsp;At the same time, they have high expectations from you and they are watching you closely.</li><li>It's hardest when they already know you. &nbsp;For example, when you are promoted and now <a href="http://hbr.org/product/the-leading-former-peers-challenge-a-guide-to-navigating-this-important-career-transition/an/5341BC-PDF-ENG" target="_blank">lead your former peers</a>. &nbsp;</li><li>Not understanding what is expected of you, your role, or your manager.</li><li>Being a content expert and moving to a new and different area or industry.</li><li>Understanding a new culture, and working out who the influencers are. &nbsp;It's hard to even know who to copy on what!</li><li>It is an intense time, isolating, and rather lonely. &nbsp;</li><li>If it is an environment with a lot of politics, just knowing <a href="http://hbr.org/2003/02/the-enemies-of-trust/ar/1" target="_blank">whom you can trust</a> is difficult.</li><li>Knowing what the priorities are.</li><li>Deciding on your brand within that new organisation and how to position yourself.</li><li>Establishing new relationships.</li><li>Being careful of what you are critical of and when to share your opinion.</li></ul><div>At the heart of a lot of these challenges lies<a href="http://hbr.org/2013/07/connect-then-lead/ar/1" target="_blank"> the importance of a relationship focus</a>. &nbsp;Leaders who are new to their organisations typically focus first on getting up to speed with the content and tasks, often at the sacrifice of establishing good relationships and fostering a belief that they are there to help others achieve the organisation's goals. &nbsp;One person I know who had been handling two roles for six months was elated when her new boss was hired. &nbsp;A month later she said to me, "I thought my workload would be halved when he arrived, now it has simply doubled as he keeps inventing new things as well!" &nbsp;A talented individual, it wasn't long before she found another role in a different division.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">How can we address these challenges?</span></i></b></div><div><ul><li>It is important to remember why you wanted the role. &nbsp;Focus on what you want to do in it.</li><li>Try not to worry too much about what others may or may not think, but focus on building connections.</li><li>Don't beat yourself up about what you don't yet know. &nbsp;Take the time to get to know the lay of the land. &nbsp;</li><li>Make sure you get regular time in the diary with your boss and with your team.</li><li>Start forming your plan the first week, and then review and revise it every 30 days through the first 90. &nbsp;Give yourself time to settle in and think things through.</li><li>Don't delay on staff decisions and exits. &nbsp;After 90 days, you should know what you have to work with.</li><li>The hardest part comes 6 months in, when you think you know the role and how to handle things. &nbsp;Be sure to document your decisions and the reasons for them, given the information available at the time.</li><li>Be careful not to make ill-informed decisions for the sake of making a decision, or <a href="http://hbr.org/2003/02/why-bad-projects-are-so-hard-to-kill/ar/1" target="_blank">to allow bad decisions to go forward</a>. &nbsp;As an outsider, your eyes are fresh. &nbsp;Make the most of it.&nbsp;</li><li>Stick to your morals. &nbsp;</li></ul><div>I am often surprised when people expect to be making decisions and taking full ownership by Week 2. &nbsp;While it shows admirable ambition and drive, it also can be dangerous, except in instances where the company will fail without such decisions. &nbsp;Remember to balance action with analysis, and to sound out your ideas with the boss before implementing major changes, particularly to staff or structure. &nbsp;Such decisions before 30 days in role is highly risky and could backfire. &nbsp;I recommend keeping a notebook and jotting down a few ideas, insights, and questions at the end of each day. &nbsp;Periodically review what you have written and see how many questions you can now answer and how your understanding has grown and changed. &nbsp;</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Getting on your boss's calendar at least once a month for the first three months is essential, advises Michael Watkins in his pragmatic book,&nbsp;<i>The First 90 Days. &nbsp;</i>&nbsp;Some bosses don't induct new team members very well, so as the new hire it is your job to reach out to the boss and seek alignment. &nbsp;Even if you have been hired to turnaround a failing business, you need to make sure you share with your boss what you are seeing, and what your plans are. &nbsp;Keep your boss in the loop and seek out his or her views. &nbsp;Keep your team up-to-date, too, within managerial appropriateness, and focus on creating good structure in team meetings. &nbsp;By the 3rd or 4th month you should have a team offsite, focusing on working style preferences so people can be seen and heard in your team. &nbsp;If your team isn't already fully in place by then, have an offsite to work through the work flow challenges during the transition period. &nbsp;Make opportunity for all team members to contribute equally.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>It is also important to take care of yourself. &nbsp;During those first two lonely weeks on the job, plan in dinners with friends or a drink after work with people who helped you in your job search. &nbsp;And don't forget to thank the external recruiter for the time and support they gave you in presenting yourself as well as possible. &nbsp;One particularly relationship-oriented recruiter once told me that she sends a bottle of champagne to every successful candidate, and in the 20 years she had been in business only one client had responded in kind, and only a handful had sent thank you notes. &nbsp;It may be "the recruiter's job" but everybody appreciates recognition and thanks for a job well done. &nbsp;The need to focus on relationships extends to those outside the new organisation. &nbsp;Jobs are only a few years long, but careers and relationships much longer.</div><div><br /></div><div>In summary, the key to successfully entering a new role is to remain calm about the huge gaps in your knowledge and understanding, to approach the learning curve with openness and objectivity, and to maintain positive regard for your new colleagues as you build relationships. &nbsp;Wishing you all success in your next transition!&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i>Victoria Hall, Executive Coach</i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i>Founder of Talent Futures</i></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TalentFutures/~4/OA-28leAzPc" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Victoria Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235997417100051193noreply@blogger.com0http://www.talentfuturesblog.com/2014/07/overcoming-new-job-challenges.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916565476041434126.post-53067147387358543312014-03-27T10:59:00.000+00:002014-03-27T10:59:09.949+00:00Change Management: Are you Blocking Your Own Progress?Today I am thinking about four of my clients and how they each lead change. &nbsp;I'm also thinking about some further study I've done lately in Transactional Analysis. &nbsp;Often we allow our internal scripts to impact how we lead change. Scripts are internal rules on how or what to be, do, think, feel, and need that we formed early in our lives.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Often we allow our internal scripts to impact how we lead change.</span></div><br />Two of my clients have just worked through massive restructures in their organisations. &nbsp;Their new teams are "finding their sea legs" together and determining how they will fulfil their objectives as a team. &nbsp;Both leaders have been working extra hours for several months as they cover vacant posts and deliver tough messages to unsuccessful candidates. &nbsp;Each cares deeply about their organisations, and they have seemingly ceaseless energy. &nbsp;As they make their personal transitions from being hands on and involved in the day-to-day to defining the strategy and inspiring the team to achieve it, it is easy to fall into a few traps. &nbsp;For example:<br /><ul><li>&nbsp;Leaving the day-to-day too quickly. &nbsp;You've waited a long time to get the full team in place, but acclimating the team as a team is important. &nbsp;Resisting the desire to step away entirely and move exclusively into the longer-term strategy now you have a full team is important<a name='more'></a> as the team needs clear parameters and more frequent contact with their new leader in the beginning to ensure all are aligned and moving in a coordinated manner. &nbsp;In TA terms, you may need to tap into how you <b><i>feel</i></b> and how others are feeling, as you continue to set the pace for change. Make sure you have a few people on board who can "check the pulse" of the team and the organisation as you move forward, and give you clear messages about what your team is feeling and needs from you.</li><li>Staying in the day-to-day too long. &nbsp;While the team is new, the tendency is to stick around in the day-to-day until people are up to speed. &nbsp;Too much of this and the longer-term strategy piece won't take off and the team's efforts at accountability and ownership will be thwarted. &nbsp;Shifting into a higher (more abstract) gear can be difficult when you have had to focus on making sure nothing slips in the day-to-day. &nbsp;This is when the daily habit of &nbsp;purposeful selfishness needs to be formed. &nbsp;Take that first 1-2 hours of the day for yourself to make progress on what you personally need to achieve. &nbsp;Doing so will also be a great stress reducer and enable you <b><i>to</i></b> <i><b>be</b></i>&nbsp;your best self with others throughout the rest of the day. &nbsp;In TA terms, you may need to allow yourself the luxury of free time <b><i>to be</i></b>&nbsp;and time <i><b>to&nbsp;</b></i><b><i>think</i></b>. &nbsp; Taking time to remove yourself from the ongoing hub of activity, open up some doors, and let your thoughts evolve is important.</li></ul><div><div style="-webkit-touch-callout: none;"><span style="-webkit-touch-callout: none; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Sometimes the change we lead is primarily in ourselves as leaders. &nbsp;Two more of my clients are focusing on what they bring to the forefront of their leadership while they reshape their teams and tackle bigger challenges. &nbsp;</span></div><div style="-webkit-touch-callout: none;"><ul><li><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Not asking for help. &nbsp;You are clear on what to achieve, and you are never short on ways that it could be achieved, but instead you are now focused on how to inspire the team to be the ones developing the ideas and taking accountability. How helpful to be (when you have ideas and energy in abundance) is something to calibrate. In TA terms, focusing on what <b><i>you&nbsp;</i></b></span><b><i>need</i></b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">&nbsp;from others and asking for help will draw others to you and your leadership more than any dazzling strategy ever could.</span></li><li><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Setting a new pace. &nbsp;You are focused on creating larger scope for yourself and engaging and influencing others in your organisation. &nbsp;In the past you have managed multiple projects and processes and worked hard. &nbsp; Now you find you need to focus more on how <b style="font-style: italic;">to be</b>&nbsp;a creative and engaging partner to the business, rather than<b><i> doing</i></b> what you have always done as a responsible manager.&nbsp;</span></li></ul><div>These examples are some of the personal leadership challenges we may face. &nbsp;Not all those who need to set a new pace will find their challenge is about being; not all who are reliable drivers need to give themselves more thinking time. &nbsp;But understanding your own internal scripts about how and what to be, do, think, feel, and need are important if we as leaders are to have more choice and broader capacity to succeed. &nbsp;Think about the messages you learned early in life. &nbsp;What were you encouraged or discouraged from? &nbsp;And as an adult, how can you take responsibility for overcoming some of those internal scripts that hold you back from greater fulfilment in your career? &nbsp;It's within everyone's capacity as humans to change...</div></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><i>Victoria Hall, Executive Coach</i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i>Founder of Talent Futures</i></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TalentFutures/~4/Y2QX9SXofl8" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Victoria Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235997417100051193noreply@blogger.com0http://www.talentfuturesblog.com/2014/03/change-management-are-you-blocking-your.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916565476041434126.post-20742014152660985322014-01-30T09:08:00.001+00:002014-01-30T09:08:21.237+00:00Oh The Power of the Business Psychologist--A Big Green Light for Paul Flowers? Today I read Jill Treanor's article in the Guardian,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/jan/28/coop-bank-deputy-chairman-quit-project-verde" target="_blank">Ex-Co-op Bank chairman Paul Flowers aced psychometric tests –deputy</a>. &nbsp;As a business psychologist who has delivered a number of in-depth executive assessments, and is certified to administer a range of psychometrics, I felt I had to respond.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The problem with Paul Flowers’ selection as Chair <br />lies more with the tendency of companies, <br />when hiring CEOs or selecting a Chair, <br />to woo potential candidates, rather than to assess them. </span></div><br /><br />Here’s a selection from the article:<br /><br />"The former deputy chairman of the Co-op Bank, Rodney Baker-Bates, told MPs that he lost out to Flowers in becoming chairman... To laughter on the committee, Baker-Bates said he had been told Flowers had been picked as chairman because he had done well in psychometric tests. David Davies, another deputy chairman, said he had been told Flowers – a member of the Co-op Group board – had been chosen for his leadership skills and admitted he had been surprised by the results of the psychometric tests."<br /><br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br />The article throws into question the use of personality measures in hiring Paul Flowers, without highlighting the misuse of them.&nbsp; Psychometrics vary with regard to their reliability and validity, and so any psychometric used in selection must be chosen carefully and with full understanding of what it does and does not provide.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the case of senior executive hiring, the consulting business psychologist who has run a proper assessment centre with several psychometrics,&nbsp;&nbsp;workplace simulations, and rigorous behavioural event interviewing,&nbsp;should also be consulting to the Board on the assessment results, and what they predict the performance of the executive would be.&nbsp;&nbsp; Thus equipped with knowledge and understanding, Board members should then actively and discreetly use their personal networks to reach out to others who have worked with the candidate to collect some form of 360 feedback.&nbsp; They need to ask of themselves, “Can I personally be confident that this candidate is the leader we really think s/he is?"<br /><br /><br />The problem with Paul Flowers’ selection as Chair lies more with the tendency of companies, when hiring CEOs or selecting a Chair, to woo potential candidates, rather than to assess them.&nbsp;&nbsp;Too often, Board members fear seeming ignorant in front of a favoured candidate, or being the one to be too evaluative amongst colleagues.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It is irresponsible for Board members to be passive during key selections.&nbsp;&nbsp;The quotes in the article portray Board members as bystanders, awaiting whomever administered psychometrics to Flowers to give them a Big Green Light.&nbsp; If responsibility doesn’t lie with each Board member, where can it possibly be?<br /><br /><br /><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">Victoria Hall<br />M.A. Organizational Psychology<br />Founder of Talent Futures</div><br /><br /><br /><i>For further reading on the horrors of senior executive selection, I recommend Rakesh Khurana’s book, </i><u>Searching for a Corporate Savior: The Irrational Quest for Charismatic CEOs</u><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TalentFutures/~4/OxnFywyY7XQ" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Victoria Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235997417100051193noreply@blogger.com0http://www.talentfuturesblog.com/2014/01/oh-power-of-business-psychologist-big.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916565476041434126.post-29664235375013686872014-01-03T08:43:00.001+00:002014-01-03T08:43:46.599+00:00Determining Your Purpose (Confidence is an OUTCOME Gained through H.O.P.E.)<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">Back in October, I wrote about Purposeful Selfishness, and challenged readers to focus on one thing for an hour at the beginning of each day that would help them achieve their longer-term purpose. &nbsp;As it is the beginning of a new year, it is a good time to go a bit further with this and to consider how having a singularity of purpose in our careers that we are driving toward, helps&nbsp;increase your confidence.<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><br />This is part 5 of my series,<span class="apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><i>Confidence is an OUTCOME Gained through H.O.P.E. &nbsp;The "P" stands for "Purpose."</i><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><br /></div><div align="center" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Without purpose, it is easy to feel at the disposal of others. &nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">And when we feel that we are only serving others, we can lose faith in ourselves. &nbsp;</div><a name='more'></a>There will always be some people with a purpose who will want us to follow them; who will insist on it even! If you follow them,&nbsp;make sure you know why and what purpose it serves you, and what part of this larger purpose fits with your own&nbsp;purpose. &nbsp;<o:p></o:p><br /><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">Recently I was talking with a client about being purposefully selfish in his focus, rather than focusing equally and fully on all that is asked of him. &nbsp;As someone who strives to go further in his career,&nbsp;and to "exceed expectations" this was a novel thought. &nbsp;Could he really give some things less attention, or even only cursory attention? &nbsp;Wouldn't this be "opting out" and letting people down? &nbsp;I challenged this by asking, "What do you already say 'No' to?" &nbsp;He cited some regular meetings that he couldn't always attend, projects that he delegated in whole to staff members, and other ways he balanced his commitments as good managers do. &nbsp;He was already in the habit of prioritising what could and could not be done in a day, yet was dissatisfied with the overall outcomes and sense of progress he was making. &nbsp;The only piece that was missing for him was how much focus he allowed himself to have on the things he really wanted to achieve. &nbsp;This is an important aspect of prioritization as a leader. &nbsp;<span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><br /></div><div align="center" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Leadership is about what we choose to achieve in the tide of possibilities.&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">Management, by contrast, is often about keeping all things moving along. &nbsp;All people who have direct reports must consider where on the leadership-management spectrum is the best place for them to be. &nbsp;There will be things and people that must be managed (kept moving along) and other things and people that must be led. &nbsp;For most of us, a bit of both are required. &nbsp;For some of us though, we get caught up in the management of things and forget that we need to be purposeful (purposefully selfish) in what we lead.<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">There is much more to say about purpose and confidence. &nbsp;For starters, it is about more than a goal. &nbsp;Your purpose encompasses you at your very best, so a strong purpose will incorporate not only your goals, but your strengths, and your values, too. &nbsp;I'll be writing more about this, as well as the pitfalls that can thwart our progress. &nbsp;Until then, think far ahead and keep making room for at least one hour a day to achieve what you most want to achieve.<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><br /></div><div align="right" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: right;"><i>Victoria Hall, Executive Coach</i><o:p></o:p></div><div align="right" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: right;"><i>Founder of Talent Futures</i><o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><br /></div><u1:p></u1:p> <u1:p></u1:p> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TalentFutures/~4/gnoRzTlJFY8" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Victoria Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235997417100051193noreply@blogger.com0http://www.talentfuturesblog.com/2014/01/determining-your-purpose-confidence-is.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916565476041434126.post-58492776498433149532014-01-01T11:09:00.001+00:002014-01-02T18:07:43.160+00:00Before You Make All Those Resolutions...It was a hectic December, but with the holidays comes a time to relax, read, play, re-connect, re-charge, and reflect. <br /><br />Or perhaps by now you are resonating with the line in the Perry Como Christmas song, <i>It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas</i> where he sings, "And Mom and Dad can hardly wait for school to start again!"<br /><br />The beginning of a holiday can seem like a huge stretch of time in which you will be able to do all you want, but often it doesn't work out that way. &nbsp;How often clients have told me of their ambitious reading lists over their holidays and then found that it was really more enjoyable to do something else? Or nothing? And that's good, too. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">We all need time to unwind and just BE, rather than DO.</span></div><br />It is the time of year to set new goals and keep resolutions for self-improvement. &nbsp;But before you leap <br /><a name='more'></a>to set those new goals, pause to reflect.<br /><div><ul><li>What was difficult about this past year? &nbsp;What did you think, do, and feel in response to the difficulty?&nbsp;</li><li>What went well this past year? &nbsp;Which of your attributes or skills contributed to your success? &nbsp; &nbsp;</li><li>What did you learn about yourself this year?&nbsp;</li></ul><div>Being alert to our emotions at peak times of difficulty and success enables us to engage with the world more effectively. &nbsp;Without self-awareness of our emotions, we run the risk of reactionary behaviour which can move us against, away or toward others in an extreme or unhelpful fashion. Think about a time when something went wrong. &nbsp;Perhaps the experience made you feel isolated or blameworthy. &nbsp;What did you do next? &nbsp;Did you shrug off the experience and march resolutely on to the next thing by yourself? &nbsp;Did you seek out the solace of friends? &nbsp;Did you blame others? &nbsp;Whatever your response, what can you learn from this and what do you think would be a helpful developmental focus for yourself in the coming year as a result? &nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>Sometimes it is tempting to adopt a purely logical focus on tasks and plans to get through a difficult period, but without pause for reflection this only serves to remove us from a deeper understanding and appreciation of ourselves and the world around us. &nbsp;Reflection on our feelings, as well as our thoughts and actions is needed.</div><div><br /></div><div>So take a little time now, pause to reflect and acknowledge where you are in your life and your career, and then with the kindness and compassion that you would share with a younger colleague in whom you see potential, ask yourself, "Where does it make sense for you to focus this year? &nbsp;What do you want to achieve?" <br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><i>Victoria Hall, Executive Coach</i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i>Founder of Talent Futures</i></div></div></div><div><br /></div><br /><br /><div></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TalentFutures/~4/ZLWp728tz48" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Victoria Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235997417100051193noreply@blogger.com0http://www.talentfuturesblog.com/2014/01/before-you-make-all-those-resolutions.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916565476041434126.post-47907392285141015522013-12-31T15:41:00.001+00:002014-01-02T18:09:29.249+00:00When Good Things Happen (Confidence is an OUTCOME gained through H.O.P.E.)Back in the 17 August blog entry I focused on Optimism and how when bad things happen, you can turn a Pessimistic response into an Optimistic response. &nbsp;This is done by changing your thinking about the bad event from the 3 P's (Pervasive, Personal, and Permanent) into a SIT (Specific, Impersonal, and Temporary) response. &nbsp;(Credit to Martin Seligman.) &nbsp;What about when a good thing happens? <br /><br />This post is part 4 in my series <i>Confidence is an OUTCOME gained through H.O.P.E. </i>&nbsp;(Happiness, Optimism, Purpose, and Energy)<br /><br />When good things happen to us, it is equally important to maintain a healthy manner of thinking about these events. &nbsp; And it is quite easy to do now you are already alert to the 3 P's and the SIT response. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">You reverse the thinking. &nbsp;</span></div><br />While Pessimists in response to a BAD event blame themselves (make it Personal) and expect misfortune to become a Pervasive and Permanent state, Optimists in response to a GOOD event&nbsp;<i><b>credit </b></i><i style="font-weight: bold;">themselves </i>(make it Personal)&nbsp;and <br /><a name='more'></a>expect good events to become Pervasive and Permanent. &nbsp; Got a nice bonus at the end of the year? &nbsp;The Optimist credits himself for being talented and well-regarded. &nbsp;He thinks in terms of Permanent causes, and expects good things to continue to come his way. &nbsp;The Pessimist by contrast might describe a nice bonus as a matter of luck, mood, or effort, and thinks in terms of sometimes, or one-offs. &nbsp;The Pessimist might credit the good mood of the boss for issuing the bonus, or a quarterly leap in profits, or all the extra hours that the Pessimist clocked in over the year. <br /><br />This is the piece I find most difficult about building our Optimism--that it is not by our effort and work ethic that good things come to us, but rather by the sheer impact of who we are. &nbsp;This goes against the Protestant work ethic, the American dream, and the British faith in education and hard work! &nbsp;What about those of us who are firm believers in efficacy and have an&nbsp;<i>internal locus of control </i>(i.e., we are masters of our own destiny, rather than powerless against external forces)? &nbsp;Are we to think that Optimism will elude us because we also believe in effort and work hard? <br /><br />Well, no, not really. &nbsp;It is when we believe that the only way that good things will come to us is through effort and a bit of luck that we seal our fate to pessimism, and all its negative thoughts and feelings. &nbsp;Have you ever pushed yourself really hard to achieve a goal to the exclusion of all else? &nbsp;Sometimes there is reward in this, but also there is often an opportunity cost. &nbsp;Perhaps you became synonymous with the project of your focus and thereby were passed over for the chance to work on something else that interested you. &nbsp;Or perhaps in your year-long effort to get that work out the door, you missed the opportunity to be with someone you love, or might fall in love with, had you given yourself the chance. <br /><br />Optimistic people see more opportunities. &nbsp;They greet the world with open eyes and an open heart, mindful of what possibilities could be in the future, and happy in the present. &nbsp;Optimism is about self-belief. &nbsp;So the next time something good happens, give yourself a pat on the back for being talented (make it Personal), think of how this will positively affect other outcomes (see it as Pervasive), and recognise that more good things are on the way (it is Permanent). &nbsp;And let the resulting buoyancy you will feel carry you to the next good thing.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><i>Victoria Hall, Executive Coach</i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i>Founder of Talent Futures</i></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TalentFutures/~4/3L0AfvPwZZ8" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Victoria Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235997417100051193noreply@blogger.com0http://www.talentfuturesblog.com/2013/12/when-good-things-happen-confidence-is.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916565476041434126.post-38261547420329670152013-10-22T09:37:00.000+01:002016-03-07T11:48:13.609+00:00Purposeful Selfishness: What It Is and How to Get It <div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Early autumn is always the busiest time, with everyone back from summer holidays, thinking about what we need to achieve by year end.&nbsp; This is true for me as well, and so this blog has unfortunately had to wait in the wings until now.&nbsp; For those readers who have been waiting for the next installment, apologies. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">My clients tend to come from financial services, engineering/manufacturing, or the public and third sector.&nbsp; Now well-launched into that final quarter push to year end, all the meetings activity since the summer has given me cause to reflect on how it is that we each get things done. &nbsp;</span>Most of us will achieve our business objectives and hit our targets, but what are we doing for ourselves that would make the biggest difference in the long term?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: large;">Without a singularity of purpose and drive, a <i>purposeful selfishness¸</i>&nbsp;we risk having the year slip past without having achieved the one thing that would most satisfy us. &nbsp;</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Who gets ahead at work? &nbsp;</span></div><a name='more'></a>Often, it comes down to who has the fiercest drive, who is most determined, and who has managed the political currents most effectively.&nbsp; And even when all three elements seem to be flowing together, like white water rapids, it is still hard to know whether the next bend in the river will turn everything upside down. &nbsp;So if you are not an alpha male or task-oriented driver, and you do want to make your mark, read on.<o:p></o:p><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">One of the common criticisms of the investment community these days is that it is far too short-term focused.&nbsp; But in truth, very few people make a clear long-term investment in themselves.&nbsp; And without that singularity of purpose, that meaningful goal in our careers that we are driving toward, we are prone to the demands and distractions of the current week.&nbsp; And we risk the whole year going past and feeling no further along with that significantly defining achievement.&nbsp; Yet with clarity of vision and a long-term view, we can use it to guide our weekly and daily decisions.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: large;">What prevents us from achieving our own purpose?&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: large;">Chiefly, we would have to spend the time fleshing out what exactly it is.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">I encourage my clients to write a page or two about the future as part of our goal setting process.&nbsp; Envisioning it clearly makes us more able to strive toward it.&nbsp; It only takes an hour or so to sit down and write a few paragraphs or bullets of “what the world will be like when I have achieved ____.”&nbsp; Few activities we can do are more motivational than this.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">As you write about your future, consider:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><ul><li><i><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , &quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">What things will happen to me as a result of achieving ____?&nbsp;</span></i></span></i></li><li><i><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , &quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Who will I have more contact with?&nbsp;</span></i></li><li><i><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , &quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What will I spend most of my time on once I've achieved it?&nbsp;</span></i></li><li><i><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , &quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">How will it be different than today? &nbsp;</span></i></li></ul><br /><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: &quot;symbol&quot;; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: &quot;times new roman&quot;; font-size: 7pt;">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</span></span>You can also come up with some qualitative measures of your progress—that is, how others will be different toward you, and how your own feelings and abilities will have changed.&nbsp; For example,</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 2.25pt;"></div><ul><li><i>My team will…</i></li><li><i>My comfort level with ____ increases.</i></li><li><i>My interactions with ____ are now _____.</i></li></ul><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 2.25pt;">Once you have clearly defined your future achievement and the benefits to your life of achieving it, choose the one thing each day to work toward it. &nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 2.25pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 2.25pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Do your one thing first thing in the morning, <br />for at least an hour every day. &nbsp;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 2.25pt; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 2.25pt;">It may not sound like much, but at minimum it will get you one step closer than you were yesterday. &nbsp;And if it doesn't sound like much, all the better, as it will be easier to do regularly. &nbsp;Create the habit, plan for success (get in earlier or send the phone to voicemail or resist the urge to check your email), do whatever it is you need and can do to give yourself that hour each morning. &nbsp;After that, the rest of the day will be what it is, but with an hour focused on your long-term achievement&nbsp;safely&nbsp;behind you, you will feel better about yourself and be more likely to see other opportunities to strive toward your goal, too. &nbsp; &nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 2.25pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 2.25pt;">There are more than 40 work days left from tomorrow to 20<sup>th</sup>&nbsp;December.&nbsp; What could you achieve with 40 hours of dedicated focus between now and the end of the year? <br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><i>Victoria Hall, Executive Coach</i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i>Founder of Talent Futures</i></div></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TalentFutures/~4/R5FHOcgkq1A" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Victoria Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235997417100051193noreply@blogger.com0http://www.talentfuturesblog.com/2013/10/purposeful-selfishness.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916565476041434126.post-19623370408087424732013-08-17T13:19:00.000+01:002014-01-02T18:09:50.740+00:00Optimism Increases Your Resilience (Confidence is an OUTCOME gained through H.O.P.E.)This post is part 3 in my series <i><b>Confidence is an OUTCOME gained through H.O.P.E. </b>&nbsp;</i>The "O" in H.O.P.E. stands for Optimism.<br /><br />Say the word "Optimism" to a lot of people post-2008 and they sneer knowingly and wonder just how in touch with reality you are. &nbsp;Yet speak of Resilience and an ability to keep moving forward after a setback, and you are likely to be admired. &nbsp;"What's your secret?" people want to know. &nbsp;In a word, it is Optimism. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Optimistic people believe that they will rise above life's challenges&nbsp;</span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">and are able to keep calm in tough situations. </span></b></div><br />Because of this, Optimists are less distracted by their own thoughts and more observant of the situation they are in and the external world. &nbsp;They therefore are able to see opportunities that others may overlook. &nbsp;And with the ability to put things in perspective, bounce back after setbacks, and generally be resilient, a strong Confidence emerges.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a>Confidence is an outcome, and Optimism is a key factor in building confidence. And the good news is that thanks to the research of Martin Seligman, developing an Optimistic self-explanatory style is something that is achievable within a matter of months. &nbsp;I've had a great number of clients do exactly that. &nbsp;So let's get started.<br /><br />Your "self-explanatory style" means the style of thinking you have when you explain to yourself the reasons for life's events. &nbsp;Your self-explanatory style is either more Optimistic or more Pessimistic. &nbsp;When bad things happen, the Pessimist tends to think in terms of ALWAYS. &nbsp;<i>("Why does this always happen? &nbsp;Things will never get better.") &nbsp;</i>The Optimist, however, tends to think in terms of SOMETIMES, or LATELY. &nbsp;If you want to become more resilient to life's setbacks and grow your confidence, you need to make sure that your self-explanatory style is chiefly Optimistic. &nbsp;This means you have to catch yourself when you use a Pessimistic style, and correct your thinking. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">To catch yourself in Pessimistic thinking, <br />look out for the 3 P's. &nbsp;</span></b></div><br />When bad things happen, there are three ways in which a person with a Pessimistic self-explanatory style will knock themselves back.&nbsp;The Pessimist's thinking about the bad event will be<br /><ul><li>Pervasive (meaning it will make other&nbsp;bad&nbsp;things happen ), or</li><li>Personal (it's the Pessimist's fault), or&nbsp;</li><li>Permanent (bad things will keep happening), or a&nbsp;</li><li>Combination of the above. &nbsp;</li></ul>Here's an example I often share with clients. &nbsp;You park your car at the supermarket and do your shopping. &nbsp;You come back to the car with the trolley and see a massive dent in your car. &nbsp;What do you say or think in response to this? <br /><br />A person with a pessimistic self-explanatory style might say, "Oh no! &nbsp;I never should have parked so close to the entrance. (PERSONAL) &nbsp;Now I'll have to get time off work to get it fixed and my boss will angry with me for being absent and my insurance rate will go up and my spouse won't like that. (PERVASIVE) Why do these things always happen to me? (PERMANENT)<br /><br />What does an Optimist say in the same situation? &nbsp;"Grrr. &nbsp;Some idiot hit my car &nbsp;(IMPERSONAL not Personal). &nbsp;Now I'll have to get it fixed (SPECIFIC &amp; TEMPORARY, not Pervasive and Permanent)."<br /><br />When bad things happen, check your thinking. &nbsp;If you find it is<br /><ul><li>Pervasive, try to make it <b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">S</span></b>pecific.</li><li>Personal, try to make it <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>I</b></span>mpersonal. &nbsp;(Yes, those who blame others do seem to be happier people! But the point here is don't ruminate and self-flagellate with blame.)</li><li>Permanent, try to make it <b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">T</span></b>emporary.</li></ul><div>An easy way to remember this is to take your three P's, SIT down, and change your thinking to be more Optimistic by explaining the event to yourself in Specific, Impersonal and Temporary terms. &nbsp;Let's do this together. &nbsp;Suppose you are studying for an additional qualification while you work full-time. &nbsp;Unfortunately, you fail an exam. &nbsp;Rather than wallow in self-recrimination (PERSONAL) and give up on the course because you think you will never get through it (PERMANENT), what could you tell yourself? Take a moment to think of a healthy Optimistic response using the SIT method above. &nbsp;Here's one to get you started, "The exam was particularly difficult."</div><div><br /></div><div>Next time I'll focus on avoiding Pessimism when GOOD things happen. &nbsp;This is important, too! &nbsp;And remember, the more healthy, Optimistic thinking we achieve, the closer we are to being Confident. &nbsp;To learn more about healthy thinking, read Martin Seligman's books, including&nbsp;<i>Learned Optimism.</i></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i>Victoria Hall, Executive Coach</i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i>Founder of Talent Futures</i></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TalentFutures/~4/S6EqBfiagjM" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Victoria Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235997417100051193noreply@blogger.com0http://www.talentfuturesblog.com/2013/08/optimism-increases-your-resilience.html